THE  UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 

LIBRARY 


THE  WILMER  COLLECTION 

OF  CIVIL  WAR  NOVELS 

PRESENTED  BY 

RICHARD  H.  WILMER,  JR. 


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HOW  I  ESCAPED 


BY 

W.    H.    PARKINS 


Archibald  Clavering  Gunter 

AUTHOR    OF 

"MR.  BARNES   OF   NEW   YORK" 
"MR.   POTTER    OF    TEXAS,"    Etc 


NEW   YORK 
THE    HOME    PUBLISHING   COMPANY 

7  East  Fourteenth  Street 
l88q. 


Copyright,  i888,  by 

ARCHIBALD  C.  GUNTER. 

[_Ail  rights  reserved."] 


Press   of  J.  J.  Little   &   Co. 
Astor  Place,  New  York. 


CONTENTS. 


BOOK  I. 


HOW    I    STAYED    FOR    HER. 

PAGE 

Chapter            I. — "  Got  your  carpet-bag  packed  ?  "  5 

"                 II. — Amos  Pierson,       -         -         -  14 

"              III. — Love  or  Duty,  -        -         -        -  22 

«              IV.— The  Empty  Sleeve,        -        -  29 

BOOK  II. 

HOW    I    FLED    FROM    HER. 

Chapter         V. — A  Confederate  Detective,  -        -  38 

«              VI.— The  Provost  Marshal,     -        -  45 

"             VII.— The  Blockade-runner,          -         -  54 

«          yilL— The  Shovel  or  the  Rifle?        -  62 

«              IX.— The  Night  Attack,      ...  69 

BOOK  III. 

HOW    I    WON    HER. 

Chapter         X. — She  Came  !          -         -        -        -  79 

XI.— The  Red-headed  Negro,         -  84 
«            XII. — The    Honeymoon    in    the    Blue 

Ridge,         -         -         -         -  93 

«'          XIII.— When  Girl  Meets  Girl !  -        -  103 


603176 


4  CONTENTS. 

BOOK  IV. 

HOW    I    CAME    BACK    AND    FOUGHT    FOR    HER. 

PAGE 

Chapter     XIV. — Into  the  Dark  Country,  -         -no 

"              XV.— Through  the  Gaps,        -  -        ii8 

"            XVI.— Through  the  Lines,   -  -         -  132 

XVIL— The  Letter  of  Life,        -  -       144 

"        XVIIL— The  Fight  for  the  Bridge,  -  151 

«           XIX.— Where  was  She  ?    -         -  -        159 

«            XX.— The  Little  Hostage,  -  -        -  171 


HOW  I  ESCAPED. 


BOOK  I. 
How    I   Stayed   for  Her. 


CHAPTER  I. 

"got  your  carpet-bag  packed  ?" 

"  Laura — Miss  Peyton,  may  I  have  a  dance  ? " 

"  Certainly  !  " 

"The  next  waltz?" 

"  No — the  next  dance,  whatever  it  is  !  Please  take  the 
very  next,  and  come  with  me  now, " 

As  she  said  this,  Laura  Peyton  slipped  her  arm  into  mine, 
and  leading  me  through  one  of  the  French  windows  of  the 
old  southern  house  onto  the  wide  balcony,  whispered, 
her  blue  eyes  blazing  with  excitement  in  the  moonlight, 
though  her  cheeks  were  pale  and  her  lips  trembled:  "  Law- 
rence, it  has  come  !  " 

"•  Do  you  really  mean  it  ? " 

"  Yes,  South  Carolina  has  seceded  !  " 

Her  words  brought  almost  despair  to  my  heart,  for 
Laura  Peyton  was  a  southern  girl  and  I  a  northern  man; 
and  though  but  the  day  before  we  had  plighted  our  troths 
and  given  our  loves,  I  trembled  as  I  thought  of  what  the 
political  passions  of  the  time  might  bring  to  our  lives. 

Seeing  my  expression,  Laura  suddenly  placed  her  hand 
in  mine,  and  whispered  :  "  This  shall  never  alter  my 
promise  to  you,  Lawrence  !  " 

Some  girls  would  have  blushed  or  fluttered  with  a  per- 
haps unconscious  coquetry  as  they  said  the  words,   for 


6  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

this  was  the  second  time  in  her  life  that  my  fiancee  had 
called  me  by  my  Christian  name  ;  but  Laura  Peyton's 
voice  was  firm  and  resolute,  and  brought  back  to  me  a 
firmness  that  I  must  confess  for  a  moment  had  left  me, 
for  I  knew  the  passion  that  was  dominant  in  the  South  in 
i860,  and  the  manner  in  which  northern  men  were  regard- 
ed by  a  large  number  of  the  population  south  of  Mason  and 
Dixon's  line. 

Some  cf  this  spirit  was  observable  as  we  reentered  the 
house,  where  a  few  of  Laura's  young  friends  were  enjoy- 
ing an  informal  carpet-dance  in  the  large  old-fashioned 
parlor  that  December  evening.  Judge  Peyton's  residence 
was  about  five  miles  away  from  the  little  capital  of  South 
Carolina,  and  the  sudden  cessation  of  the  music  and  ex- 
cited exclamations  of  the  guests  told  us  that  the  news  had 
become  generally  known  to  the  company. 

Belle,  Laura's  younger  sister,  who  had  been  playing 
one  of  those  old,  long-since-forgotten  Jullien  polkas,  after 
a  moment's  pause  suddenly  attacked  the  piano  again  with 
all  the  enthusiasm  of  sixteen,  and  sang  the  local  seces- 
sion air  that  was  soon  afterward  superseded  by  the 
Bonnie  Blue  Flag  with  her  whole  soul.  The  effect  was 
electrical,  and  in  a  moment  every  voice  in  the  room  ex- 
cept my  own  rang  out  with  the  southern  air. 

My  failure  to  respond  to  this  outburst  of  secession 
sentiment  was  noted  by  a  young  lawyer,  who  had  been 
my  friend  and  chum  until  a  rivalry  for  Laura's  affections 
and  hand  had  somewhat  cooled  our  good-fellowship. 
Harry  Walton  stepped  up  to  me,  and  rather  insinuatingly 
remarked  :  "  Mr.  Bryant  does  not  sing  this  evening. 
Has  he  lost  his  voice  ? " 

*'  No,"  I  replied  ;  "but  I  don't  know  that  tune." 

"  It's  one  that  you'll  have  to  sing  before  long,  and  if 
necessary  Lll  try  and  teach  it  to  you,"  sneered  young 
Walton. 

*'  Oh,  I'll  instruct  Law — Mr.  Bryant  myself,"  inter- 
rupted Laura,  anxious  to  change  a  conversation  that  was 
becoming  of  a  nature  that  sometimes  in  those  days  led 
to  very  serious  results. 

This  stumble  over  my  Christian  name  probably  enraged 
my  rival  much  more  than  my  refusal  to  join  in  the  seces- 
sion melody. 

An  expression   of  trouble  passed  over  his  face,  as  he 


HOW -I    ESCAPED.  7 

caught  a  veiled  glance  the  girl  at  my  side  cast  upon  me 
as  she  interposed  between  us.  He  bit  his  lip,  and 
remarked  coldly,  with  a  forced  composure:  "Then  I  leave 
Mr.  Bryant  to  your  instructions,  Miss  Laura ;  but  in 
case  you  do  not  succeed — there  are  other  and  stronger 
teachers " 

"  None  that  you  could  bring  to  bear  upon  me,  Mr. 
Walton,"  I  remarked.  "  If  Miss  Peyton  does  not  succeed, 
you  had  better  not  attempt  the  task." 

My  rival  was  about  to  reply  in  a  tone  that  might  have 
led  to  unpleasant  results,  when  the  conversation  was  inter- 
rupted by  the  entrance  of  Judge  Peyton,  the  father  of  my 
sweetheart,  and  the  company  of  young  people  running 
to  him  to  get  his  ideas  upon  the  political  situation. 

"  Father,  you've  heard  the  news  !  We're  no  longer  in 
the  United  States.  We've  cut  loose  from  Uncle  Sam. 
Seceded  at  last  !  "  cried  his  son,  young  Arthur  Peyton, 
with  the  enthusiasm  of  twenty. 

"Yes;  I've  expected  this  for  months,"  returned  the 
judge  solemnly,  "  and  feared  it !  " 

"  Feared  it  ?"  echoed  two  or  three  of  the  guests. 

"  Feared  it,"  cried  his  son;  "  feared  the  Yankees  ?  Why 
Alabama,  Mississippi,  Louisiana,  Georgia — every  southern 
State  is  with  us.  We've  all  the  trump  cards  in  this 
game  !  " 

"  Humph !  "  returned  the  judge.  "  But  we  haven't  played 
them.  We'll  all  do  our  duty  by  our  State,  Arthur  ;  but  Fm 
afraid  there'll  be  more  tears  than  laughter  about  this 
business  before  it  is  ended." 

With  those  words  and  a  slight  sigh,  Judge  Peyton 
turned  to  his  study,  and  after  a  few  moments  the  company 
gradually  left  for  their  homes. 

"  I  shall,  see  your  father  in  a  day  or  two,  Laura,"  I 
whispered  as  I  bid  her  good-by.  "  This  political  com- 
plication compels  me  to  have  no  misunderstanding  in 
my  relations  to  you." 

"  You — you  know  I  love  you — will  love  you,  no  mat- 
ter what  happens,"  returned  my  fiancee. 

Then  mounting  my  horse  for  my  short  ride  to  Columbia, 
I  saw  Laura  watching  me  as  I  passed  down  the  moonlit 
avenue,  the  girl  making  a  very  pretty  picture  back- 
grounded by  her  southern  home. 

Laura    Peyton    though    in    some    respects   a   typical 


8  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

southern  girl,  had  little  of  that  languor  supposed  to  be 
peculiar  to  tropical  loveliness,  was  no  brunette  with  black 
lustrous  eyes  and  voluptuous,  lazy  beauty,  but  brilliant 
and  blue-eyed,  vigorous  and  direct  in  movement  and 
mind,  and  of  a  beauty  that  made  her  a  female  load-stone 
to  the  local  beaux.  Perhaps  from  very  force  of  contrast 
to  the  languid  manners  of  most  of  the  South  Carolina 
girls  about  her,  she  was  one  of  the  most  popular  young 
ladies  in  the  section  of  the  State  near  Columbia. 

It  was  a  short  five  miles  to  the  capital.  I  let  my  horse 
take  his  own  gait,  while  I  meditated  upon  the  problem 
before  me — that  was  to  win  and  marry  a  southern  girl  from 
a  southern  family — from  a  seceded  State,  I — a  northern 
man — a  Union  man,  one  who  might  have  to  meet  her 
relatives  even  in  battle — and  this  in  December  of  the  year 
i860,  with  the  passions  of  that  gigantic  political  volcano 
seething  and  struggling  and  fighting  to  break  out  of  the 
crater  that  had  been  opened  that  very  day  by  the  seces- 
sion of  South  Carolina.  Pondering  upon  this  problem 
I  trotted  into  the  main  street  of  Columbia,  which  was  full 
of  excited  people  discussing  the  situation,  and  as  I  did  so, 
started  and  listened. 

The  city  bell  upon  the  old  market  was  ringing  out  joy- 
ous peal  upon  peal  that  meant  its  own  and  that  town's  de- 
struction by  sword  and  flame  after  four  years  of  most 
miserable  horror  and  bloody  war  to  the  American  peo- 
ple. 

The  excitement  had  spread  to  the  negro  population. 
Young  Caucus,  my  body  servant,  came  to  me,  his  eyes 
rolling  and  his  red  hair  more  frizzled  than  usual  with 
excitement,  for  he  was  a  mulatto  with  that  unusual  hair 
in  people  of  his  race,  that  we  call  brick-red.  This 
gave  him  a  curious  made-up  appearance,  and  added  a 
comedy  look  to  the  boy  even  when  he  was  in  a  rage. 

As  young  Caucus,  whose  services  I  had  hired  from  his 
master,  Judge  Peyton,  took  charge  of  my  horse,  he  seemed 
choking  with  some  extraordinary  idea,  which  had  just 
come  into  his  black  brain,  and  gasped  out  to  me  : 
"  'Skuse  me,  Massa  Bryant,  but  what  you  s'pose  Massa 
Abram  Lincoln  do  now  dat  South  Carlina  commit  'ces- 
sion— reckon  Massa  Lincoln  hab  to  commit  sucide." 

This  extraordinary  idea  of  the  President  elect's  politi- 
cal  duties  made   but   little  impression  upon  me  at  the 


HOW    I    ESCAPED,  9 

moment.  I  was  too  much  perplexed  at  my  own  position, 
though  I  have  often  laughed  at  it  since. 

I  declined  to  discuss  the  matter  with  young  Caucus,  and 
passed  into  my  house,  where  I  spent  several  wakeful  hours 
that  night  pondering  over  love,  politics,  and  patriotism. 

I  had  been  about  five  years  in  the  South,  having 
been  called  there  in  my  profession  of  civil  engineer  to 
assist  in  laying  out  the  work  and  building  some  of  the  new 
railroads  being  constructed  in  South  Carolina  and  Georgia. 
I  liked  the  country  and  its  people,  and  did  not  wish  to 
leave  it — in  fact,  would  not  leave  it  unless  I  took  Laura 
Peyton  to  the  North  with  me,  as  a  hostage  from  the 
southern  people.  Yet  as  I  faced  the  outlook,  and  thought 
of  having  that  very  day  been  almost  cut  in  the  street  by 
people  I  had  considered  as  intmiates,  because  they  doubted 
my  loyalty  to  the  cause  of  secession,  and  remembered  the 
speeches  made  since  Lincoln's  election,  I  could  not  doubt 
that  my  next  few  months  would  be  unpleasant  ones  in  the 
Palmetto  State,  and  that  my  course  of  true  love  would 
run  over  one  of  the  rockiest  beds  that  was  ever  invented 
for  that  tumultuous  and  uncertain  stream. 

Pondering  on  this  problem,  I  fell  asleep,  to  be  aroused 
next  morning  by  the  voice  of  Tom  Baxter,  who  cried  to 
me  in  a  cheery  way,  "  Got  your  carpet-bag  packed  ?  " 

"  No  ! — what  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"Well,  you'll  have  to  pack  it  soon.  I  mean  you  and  I'll 
have  to  go  North. " 

Tom  was  my  associate  engineer,  and,  occupying  the 
same  house  with  me,  ejaculated  his  words  from  the  next 
bedroom,  where  he  was  apparently  making  his  morning 
ablutions. 

"  You've  just  arrived  from  Augusta  ?"  asked  I. 

*'  One  hour  ago.  And  they're  getting  ready  to  do  the 
same  job  in  Georgia  that  they  did  in  South  Carolina  yes- 
terday. Tell  you  more  about  it  at  breakfast,"  remarked 
the  sententious  Tom. 

Baxter  had  come  from  Illinois.  Like  myself,  he  saw 
the  storm  ahead,  though  from  a  different  point  of  view, 
as  he  had  been  for  the  last  few  weeks,  on  the  business  of 
the  railroad,  in  Georgia.  He  was  a  hard-thinking  fellow, 
and  reasoned  upon  all  subjects,  professional  and  otherwise, 
with  the  directness  of  a  mathematician  and  in  a  very 
straight  line. 


lO  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

I  was  anxious  to  get  his  full  views  upon  our  situation, 
and  followed  him  quickly  to  our  breakfast-room. 

As  I  entered,  Mr.  Baxter  was  laughing  at  some  remarks 
of  young  Caucus,  who  was  waiting  at  the  table. 

"  How  you  tink,  Massa  Baxter,  de  North  stan  up  agin 
dose  ? "  exclaimed  the  negro,  giving  an  excited  wave  of 
his  napkin  through  the  open  window  toward  three  com- 
panies of  South  Carolina  militia  that  were  marching 
by  with  true  militia  irregularity.  "  Dose  sogers  go  up 
to  settle  de  Black  'Publicans  and  dey  settle  dem  aboli- 
tionists d d  soon  !  " 

"  Give  me  some  eggs  ! "  said  Baxter,  choking  a 
laugh. 

"  Some  eggs  and  coffee  for  me,  also.  Caucus,  and  then 
get  out,"  added  I  ;  "  I  wish  to  talk  to  Mr.  Baxter." 

"  Yes  sah  !  of  course  sah  !  "  muttered  the  young  negro, 
executing  our  orders,  and  then  retiring  from  the  room 
with  martial  step  and  a  grin  of  joy,  for  the  military  band 
outside  had  suddenly  struck  up,  and  Caucus  was  anxious 
to  follow  the  music,  which  he  did  shortly  afterward,  to- 
gether with  half  the  young  negroes  of  Columbia. 

"  Now,"  remarked  Baxter,  as  soon  as  the  sound  of  Cau- 
cus' departing  footsteps  had  died  away,  "you  and  I, 
Lawrence,  will  have  to  take  a  trip  north  very  shortly.  I 
suppose  you  are  aware  of  that  ?  South  Carolina  seceded 
yesterday.  To-morrow  it  will  be  Georgia  and  all  the 
cotton  States.  And  you  and  I  know  on  which  side  of  the 
line  we  ought  to  be  when  it  comes  to  fighting." 

"  I  shall  remain  here,  at  least  for  the  present,"  I  re- 
marked. 

"  So  shall  I,  but  I  shall  sell  everything  I  have  and  be 
prepared  to  leave.     Take  my  advice,  and  do  the  same." 

"  Still,  I'm  comfortable  here  ;  have  succeeded  in  my 
profession  ;  am  popular  with  the  people  about  me." 

"  Popular  ? — How  long  will  you  be  popular  if  you  don't 
take  their  side  in  the  coming  struggle  ?  Popular  ? — 
Doesn't  every  day  show  you  your  popularity  is  waning  ? 
Popular  ? " 

Here  he  stopped  short,  for  Caucus  came  into  the  room 
bringing  a  pretty  little  envelope  addressed  to  me  in  a 
feminine  hand. 

As  I  tore  open  the  envelope  and  devoured  its  contents, 
Mr.  Baxter  continued  : 


HOW    I    ESCAPED,  II 

"  Popular — yes,  I  see,  very  popular  with  some  one 
about  here.  That's  why  you're  so  anxious  to  stay. 
Well,  if  I  guess  right  as  to  who  the  lady  is,  I'd  risk  a 
good  deal  to  gain  that  girl,  for  she's  worth  winning.  I 
wish  you  luck  ;  but  all  the  same,  if  you  remain  in  this 
State,  you'll  have  to  fight  on  one  side  of  the  line  and  I 
on  the  other,  for  I  tell  you  that  this  movement  means 
taiar  !  " 

"War?" 

"  Certainly  !  Isn't  that  " — here  Mr.  Baxter  got  up  from 
his  chair,  walked  round  to  mine,  and  whispered  in  my  ear 
— "  armed  rebellion  to  our  Government — levying  of  war 
upon  it  right  there  before  our  very  eyes  ?  "  and  he  pointed 
through  the  window,  toward  where  a  portion  of  the  South 
Carolina  militia  were  marching  down  the  main  street  of 
Columbia  to  take  the  cars  for  Charleston,  to  participate  a 
short  time  afterward  in  the  bombardment  of  Sumter. 

"  It's  war!  "  he  continued — '*  miserable,  horrible,  bloody 
civil  war  !  You've  got  to  take  your  choice — ^our  side  or 
the  other  ;  and  if  you  remain  here,  it  must  be  the  other." 

"  All  the  same,"  I  replied,  "  I  shall  stay  here  until " 

"  Until  you  win  her  ?  I  wish  you  luck,  my  boy  ;  but 
she  a  southern  girl  and  you  a  northern  man — God  help 
you  !  "  And  with  this  Mr.  Baxter  turned  away,  walked 
out  of  the  room  and  went  to  his  work  at  the  railroad 
offices. 

I  remained  with  a  very  glum  face,  which  became  more 
gloomy  as  I  re-read  the  letter  my  fiancee  had  just  written 
to  me.     It  was  as  follows  : 

'"The  Oaks,'  ] 

Columbia,  December  2i,   i860,  f 

"  Darling  :  Please  come  and  see  papa  this  very  afternoon  at  the 
latest.  Circumstances  that  I  cannot  explain  by  letter  make  me  ask 
you  as  you  love  me  not  to  delay  your  interview  with  my  father.  To- 
morrow may  be  too  late.     Don't  fail. 

"  Your  Laura.'' 

What  new  complication  did  this  note  herald  ?  Puzzle 
my  brain  as  I  might,  I  could  not  guess.  Of  only  one 
thing  was  I  sure — that  was  my  sweetheart  loved  me. 
So  despite  the  clouds  that  seemed  to  hang  over  me,  I  was, 
in  the  elasticity  of  youth,  comparatively  happy  even  on 
that  morning. 

But   curiosity,  added  to    love,    made  me  hurry   what 


12  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

little  railroad  business  I  had  on  my  hands,  and  early  in 
the  afternoon  I  rode  out  through  the  main  street  of 
Columbia,  which  was  filled  with  people  eagerly  discussing 
the  situation,  for  nearly  all  business  was  thrown  aside 
for  politics  at  that  time,  and  after  passing  by  the  State 
lunatic  asylum  and  the  beautiful  plantations  of  the 
Hamptons,  Prestons  and  Singletons,  soon  found  myself 
at  the  Avenue  of  Oaks  that  led  to  Judge  Peyton's  coun- 
try seat,  called  after  the  beautiful  trees  that  embellished  it. 

Before  I  reached  the  house,  however,  1  was  met  by  Miss 
Belle,  who  came  running  down  the  avenue  to  meet  me,  a 
leghorn  hat  with  ribbons  floating  from  it,  after  the  fash- 
ion of  the  time,  in  one  hand,  the  other  held  out  to  me.  In 
the  frank  impulsiveness  of  her  nature,  she  cried,  with  the 
very  sweet  southern  accent  this  young  lady  possessed, 
"  Laura  has  just  told  me  all." 

"All!"  I  muttered,  astonished  at  the  suddenness  of 
her  outburst. 

"  Certainly — all  about  you're  wanting  to  marry  her  ! 
"  You  see  she  had  to — a  girl  must  confide  in  some  one — 
no  one  could  keep  such  a  secret — and  mother  being  dead, 
I  took  mamma's  place — and  I'm  so  glad  you're  going  to 
join  us — be  one  of  us — I  always  said  that  Mr.  Bryant 
was  too  good  a  man  to  be  one  of  those  awful  Black  Re- 
publicans— 'deed  I  did  !  " 

This  view  of  my  political  ideas  being  changed  by  my 
suit  for  her  sister's  hand  rather  amused  me.      I  remarked  : 

"  I  have  never  been  a  Black  Republican — that  is,  not 
the  kind  of  a  Black  Republican  you  mean." 

"  There's  only  one  kind  of  Black  Republican  !  "  re- 
turned Miss  Belle,  sententiously. 

"  What  kind  is  that  ?  " 

"  A  bad  abolitionist  Black  Republican.  Oh,  how  I  hate 
'em.  They  would  destroy  all  our  social  happiness.  They 
would  separate  us  from  the  servants  who  love  us.  Fancy 
tearing  old  Mauma  Chloe  from  me  whom  she  loves.  I 
told  the  poor  old  creature  what  the  horrid  northern^ 
wretches  wanted  to  do  to  her,  and  she  cried  all  last  night. " 
But  you're  reformed — I  know  you  are — and — you  would 
like  to  see  Laura,  I  suppose — she  rather  expects  you  " — 
this  last  with  a  roguish  glance.  "  She's  over  there  in  the 
garden  !  Here,  Csesar  !  come  and  take  Mr.  Bryant's 
horse  !  " 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  I3 

r  dismounted,  and  a  black  servant  leading  my  nag  to  the 
stables,  Miss  Belle  pointed  to  a  white  hat  seen  through  the 
foliage,  and  cried,  "  There  she  is  !  Good-by  till — after- 
ward, Mr.  Reformed  Black  Republican  ! " 

I  hardly  heard  the  last  of  her  speech,  as  I  was  rapidly 
making  my  way  toward  my  sweetheart,  who  apparently 
did  not  notice  my  coming.  As  seated  upon  a  bench  in  a 
little  grove  of  oaks,  she  held  a  letter  in  her  hand,  though 
both  her  eyes  were  expectantly  placed  upon  the  road 
from  Columbia.  She  had  in  some  manner  apparently 
missed  me  as  I  rode  by,  and  was  still  looking  for  my 
coming — I  thought  with  a  kind  of  nervous  impatience. 

A  man's  vanity  is  always  flattered  by  the  beauty  of  the 
woman  who  loves  him  ;  and  in  gazing  at  Laura  Peyton  1 
became  very  vain,  for  no  prettier  sight  had  ever  met  my 
eye. 

Though  nearly  Christmas,  the  weather  was  still  mild 
and  warm  in  this  southern  latitude,  and  the  girl  looked 
like  a  summer  picture,  as,  with  her  white  hat  trimmed 
with  a  dainty  ribbon  or  two  thrown  upon  the  bench 
beside  her,  and  dressed  in  some  light  gossamer  garment 
crinolined  and  puffed  out  about  her,  as  was  the  fashion 
of  those  days,  she  leaned  forward,  all  her  soul  in  her  eyes, 
looking  the  wrong  way — for  me. 

A  moment  afterward  the  tableau  changed.  Her  eyes 
fell  upon  the  letter — a  shiver  of  disgust  appeared  to  run 
through  her.  She  sprang  to  her  feet  impatiently,  in  her 
haste  permitting  a  glimpse  of  a  southern  foot  and  ankle 
that  gave  me  another  lover's  rapture,  and  crushed  the 
letter  nervously  in  her  hand.  Her  lips  muttered  in  an 
excited  manner,  her  eyebrows  contracted  with  a  slight 
frown,  and  she  gave  a  determined  stamp  with  her  little 
foot. 

Then  she  turned  her  head,  the  frown  changed  to  a 
smile,  the  shadow  on  her  face  became  sunshine,  her  lips 
murmured,  "  Lawrence  !  " — she  was  in  my  arms. 

After  a  moment  she  disengaged  herself  from  my  em- 
brace, and,  affecting  lightness,  whispered  :  "  I  knew  you 
would  come.  My  note  insured  that.  Curiosity  as  well 
as  love  is  powerful  in  man  as  in  woman." 

<•  Why  were  you  so  anxious  for  me  to  see  your  father 
this  very  day  ?  "  I  asked,  in  reply  to  this. 

"  This  letter  !  "  she  said,  glancing  at  the  crumpled  paper. 


14  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

"  To-night,  or  at  latest  to-morrow,  Amos  Pierson  will  ask 
my  father  for  my  hand.  This  is  his  notification  to  me  of 
his  intention." 

"Amos  Pierson  !  "  I  gasped  — "  the  millionaire  cotton 
merchant  of  Savannah  ?  " 

"  Certainly,"  she  replied.  "  He  entertained  my  father 
and  myself  last  year  when  we  visited  Georgia.  I  think — 
I  fear — he  has  some  business  or  financial  hold  upon  my 
father  !  "  " 

"  You  surely  do  not  believe  Judge  Peyton  would  coerce 
you — in  such  a  matter  as  this  !  " 

"  Certainly  not  !  But  Amos  Pierson,  I  can  see  from  his 
letter,  expects  in  the  arrogance  of  his  wealth  to  win  me. 
Disappointment  will  make  him  our  enemy  and  at  this 
moment  we  need  so  many  friends  !  Lawrence,  I  know 
his  character — beware  of  A?nos  Pierson  !  " 


CHAPTER  II. 

AMOS    PIERSON. 

"  Beware  of  Amos  Pierson — why  ? — because  he  is  my 
rival  ?  What  do  I  fear,  so  long  as  I  have  your  love  ? 
Laura,  why  don*t  you  ask  me  to  dread  all  the  suitors  for 
this  hand — Harry  Walton,  for  instance?"  replied  I,  seiz- 
ing the  fair  member  she  had  held  out  in  warning  gest- 
ure, 

"  Because  Harry  Walton  is  a  gentleman — impulsive,  but 
always  chivalric,  always  brave.  Brave  men  are  not  so 
much  to  be  dreaded  as  cowards.  They  strike  fairly  to 
your  face — not  behind  your  back.  Amos  Pierson  is  one 
of  the  kind  you  feel,  but  do  not  see.  He  will  wound  you 
in  the  back  !  " 

*'  Pshaw  !  I'd  much  rather  have  Amos  Pierson  for  a 
rival  for  your  hand  than  Harry  Walton — fifty  is  not  so 
much  to  be  dreaded  as  twenty-five,  and  I  have  heard  Mr. 
Pierson's  age  stated  at  about  the  former  figure,"  laughed 
I,  anxious  to  relieve  the  anxiety  of  vcvy  fiancee,  though  by 
no  means  happy  to  hear  of  an  additional  enemy  to  my 
wooing,  surrounded  as  it  was  with  so  many  political 
obstacles. 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  I5 

"  Therefore  you  understand  the  reason  I  wish  you 
to  see  my  father  this  afternoon — so  that  Mr.  Piersor^, 
when  he  arrives,  will  discover  that  my  future  station  in 
life  is  already  settled.  That  "—here  she  began  to  blush 
and  falter — "that — 1  am  as  surely  and  as  truly  yours  as 
if  I  were  already  wedded  to — you  !  " 

The  last  "  you  "  was  a  little  gasp,  for  what  man  could 
tefrain  from  sealing  such  a  declaration  from  the  woman 
he  loved  ? 

"  So,"  I  replied,  "  you  wish  Mr.  Pierson  to  know  he  has 
no  hope " 

"  At  once  and  forever  !  You  will  find  my  father,  Law- 
rence, in  his  library.  This  action  of  South  Carolina  has 
disturbed  him  very  much.  Heaven  only  knows  to  what 
it  will  lead  !  " 

Knowing  the  house  very  well,  I  turned  from  my  sweet- 
heart and  found  my  way  to  her  father,  meditating  on  the 
consideration  of  Laura,  who,  in  all  our  interview,  had 
never  mentioned  the  political  troubles  that  stood  in  our 
path  almost  forcing  us  asunder  ;  for  my  sweetheart's 
sympathies  were  all  with  the  South  in  the  struggle,  as 
what  southern  woman's  were  not,  through  that  four 
years  of  famine,  desolation,  flame  and  bereavement, — to 
the  end  ! 

I  knew,  however,  her  father  would  mention  the  politi- 
cal aspect  of  our  courtship,  and  was  prepared  for  it. 

On  entering  Judge  Peyton's  library,  to  my  astonish- 
ment I  found  him  with  the  day's  papers  before  him  and  a 
suspicious  redness  about  the  eyes.  He  greeted  me  pleas- 
antly, but  rather  sadly. 

"  You  have  been  reading  the  news  ?  "  I  ventured  to 
remark,  "  with  a  good  deal  of  interest." 

"  With  a  good  deal  of  sorrow,"  he  replied.  "  This  ordi- 
nance of  our  State  legislature  is,  I  feel,  perhaps  wrong — 
certainly  hasty  ;  and  may  bring  us  more  trouble  than  our 
politicians  reckon.  They  pass  the  ordinance,  but  if  it 
comes  to  fighting,  the  people  will  have  to  do  that,  and  I 
have  a  young  boy  " — here  the  judge  looked  wistfully  at 
the  picture  of  Arthur  that  hung  upon  the  wall  ;  then  con- 
tinued with  a  sigh — "  and  he  is  anxious  to  be  in  the  front. 
I  fear  for  him.  Heaven  only  knows  what  secession  may 
bring  to  my  family  !  " 

Here  was  my  opening.     I  remarked  ; 


l6  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

"  It  was  in  regard  to  )^our  family  that  I  called  to  ?^peak 
to  you.     Miss  Laura " 

'*  Ah  !  " 

"  I  love  her,  and  I  have  asked  her  to  marry  me.  She 
has  consented.  I  have  now  come  to  you  to  ask  your 
approval  of  my  suit." 

To  this  the  judge  did  not  answer,  so  I  went  on  and 
gave  him  a  short  history  of  my  courtship  of  his  daughter, 
stating  that  our  affection  was  mutual. 

Here  the  judge  stopped  me  by  remarking,  suddenly, 
"  You  wish  to  marry  my  daughter  at  this  time  ?  " 

"  As  soon  as  possible  !  You  know  my  professional  rep- 
utation in  the  South :  that  I  am  as  well  able  to  support 
her  as  most  young  men  who  depend  entirely  upon  their 
professional  exertions." 

"  Yes,  I  have  no  doubt  of  your  ability,"  replied  the  old 
gentleman,  "  as  an  engineer ;  but,  though  I  have  every 
respect  for  your  professional  attainments,  the  peculiar 
position  that  you  hold  in  our  community  makes  me  hesi- 
tate to  give  my  consent  to  your  proposition  that  a  few 
months  ago  I  should  have  been  pleased  to  consider." 

''  Why  should  the  severance  by  South  Carolina  of  her 
ties  to  the  Federal  Government  of  the  United  States  com- 
pel me  to  sever  the  ties  of  love  that  bind  me  to  your 
daughter?"  I  asked,  impetuously. 

"  Because  the  ordinance  of  secession  passed  yesterday 
will  make  my  daughter  and  you  citizens  of  two  different 
nations  that  bid  fair,  shortly,  to  become  hostile  to  one 
another.  If  war  should  break  out  between  us  and  the 
United  States,  you  would  be  unable  to  live  in  this  com- 
munity, and  a  wife  must  follow  her  husband,"  remarked 
the  judge,  slowly  and  deliberately,  as  if  weighing  his 
words.  "  My  daughter's  sympathies  are,  I  hope,  entirely 
with  the  people  of  her  State  in  such  a  quarrel.  Political 
differences  would  destroy  eventually  any  love  that  there 
now  may  be  between  you.  You  are  both  young,  impul- 
sive, and  ardent,  and  you  could  not  so  entirely  restrain 
yourselves  as  to  prevent  the  excitement  of  the  combat 
raging  about  you  from  entering  into  your  home.  There- 
fore I  am  opposed  to  any  immediate  union  between  you 
and  my  daughter.  Perhaps,"  continued  the  judge,  with 
a  sigh,  "  this  quarrel  of  the  politicians  may  yet  be  settled 
by  the  people  without  bloodshed.     Pray  heaven  it  may 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  17 

be  !  If  so,  come  to  me  again,  and  if  my  daughter  loves 
you  as  you  say  she  does,  my  answer  will  be  a  different 
one,  unless " 

"  Unless  what  ?  "   I  interrupted,  hastily. 

"  Unless  " here  he  checked  himself  suddenly  and 

said  :  "  But  that  is  an  affair  of  the  future.  At  present 
all  I  can  say,  Mr.  Bryant,  is,  that  I  wish  you  to  consider 
my  daughter  entirely  freed  from  any  promise  she  has 
made  to  you  until  the  present  political  storm  has  ended. 
God  knows  I  wish  South  Carolina  had  not  seceded  !  "  he 
continued,  impulsively. 

"  Ah  !  ycu  are  a  Union  man,"  I  cried. 

*'  I  love  the  Union,  but  I  love  my  State  better  ;  and 
though,  like  many  other  men  in  the  South,  I  have 
struggled  to  prevent  yesterday's  hasty  and  radical  action 
by  my  native  commonwealth  ;  still,  that  action  being 
taken,  I  am  for  my  State,  rig/i^  or  wrong.  I  shall  confer 
with  Laura,  and  perhaps,  after  an  interview  with  her 
may  write  you  further  my  views  upon  the  proposition 
you  have  done  me  the  honor  to  make.  You  have  my 
highest  personal  esteem,  Mr.  Bryant,"  he  said,  shaking 
my  hand  as  I  rose  with  rather  a  gloomy  and  unhappy 
expression  on  my  face. 

"  Then  you  have  no  objection  to  my  visiting  your 
daughter  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  None  in  the  world,  as  a  friend.  All  I  wish  is  that 
until  the  political  horizon  becomes  clear,  you  entirely  for- 
get that  my  daughter  has  given  you  reason  to  hope  for 
her  hand.  As  a  man  of  common  sense,  this  should  impress 
itself  upon  you.  As  a  man  of  honor,  a  father's  wishes  in 
regard  to  his  child  at  such  a  moment  should  be  binding 
upon  you."  With  this  the  judge  returned  to  his  reading, 
apparently  anxious  to  close  the  interview. 

As  I  walked  through  the  hallway  I  encountered  a 
young  gentleman  whom  I  hoped  would  some  day  be 
my  brother-in-law — young  Mr.  Arthur  Peyton,  with 
the  enthusiasm  of  twenty,  excitement,  youth  and  hope 
upon  his  face,  had  apparently  just  arrived  from  Colum- 
bia. 

His  expression  betokened  intense  joy.  He  cried  out 
merrily  :  "  Hello,  Bryant !  Isn't  this  glorious  ?  Wade 
Hampton  is  about  to  raise  a  legion  for  the  service  of 
South    Carolina  in  case  of   northern  invasion,  and   has 


l8  now    I    ESCAPED. 

offered  me  a  lieutenanc)\  There's  promotion  for  you  ! 
Quicker  than  if  I  had  been  at  West  Point." 

"  If  the  uniform  is  handsome,  I  presume  you'll  be  very 
fatal  to  the  young  ladies  about  here,"  remarked  I. 

"  Trust  me  for  that,"  laughed  the  boy,  and  continued  : 
"  By  the  bye,  your  friend  Walton  will  rank  me,  as  he  has 
been  offered  a  captaincy." 

"  That  is  the  advantage  of  twenty-five  over  twenty  in 
this  world." 

"  But  I  don't  suppose  you  care  much  about  this,  as  you 
are  a  northern  man;  though  periiaps,  pleaded  with  " — here 
the  rogue  winked  at  me — "  by  my  sister,  we  may  consider 
you  as  not  the  ivorst  type  of  '  Black  Republican.'  " 

These  remarks,  which  brought  me  once  more  face  to 
face  with  the  obstacle  constantly  growing  larger  and 
larger  between  my  love  and  its  happy  consummation, 
gave  me  a  very  surly  and  dogged  air  as  I  walked  into 
the  garden,  which  Avas  instantly  perceived  by  my  fiancee. 

As  she  came  toward  me,  she  whispered  :  "  Lawrence, 
bad  news  ?  Papa  refuses  his  consent  ?  " 

"  Not  so  bad  as  that,"  I  replied.  "  He  only  asks  us  to 
postpone  our  engagement  until  our  political  troubles  are 
ended." 

"  Postpone  ouF  engagement  ?  You  mean  postpone  our 
marriage." 

"  No — our  engagement  !  " 

"  Impossible  !  Our  engagement  was  made  yesterday. 
As  well  ask  us  to  postpone  our  love." 

''  Yes,  he  asks  us  to  forget  what  we  said  to  each  other 
yesterday.  Can  you  do  that  ?  "  I  whispered  into  the 
dainty  shell  that  she  called  her  ear. 

"  Forget  that  you  said  you  loved  me  ? — Oh,  Law- 
rence !  "  and  the  tears  came  into  her  eyes. 

*'  That  is  what  he  asks  ;  but  it  is  as  impossible  for  me  as 
to  forget  that  I  live.  However,  that  is  what  your  father 
wants." 

*'  I  can  forget  no  more  than  you  that  I  love  you  !  " 
whispered  the  dear  girl,  emphasizing  her  words  with  a 
glance  that  set  me  to  comforting  her  in  the  way  most 
pleasing  to  engaged  young  ladies. 

After  a  few  moments,  her  spirits  having  come  back  to 
her,  Miss  Laura  said,  airily :  "  Oh,  I  don't  mind  if  papa 
a.sks  us  to  postpone  our  marriage,  after  all  '  " 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  I9 

"Indeed  !"  I  said,  rather  sullenly,  "I  had  supposed 
you  wished  to  marry  me  immediately." 

"  No,  Lawrence,  not  immediately,''  said  the  3^oung  lady, 
laughing.  "  Trousseaux  are  works  of  time,  and  by  the 
time  my  trousseau  is  ready,  this  political  squabble  be- 
tween our  southern  fire-eating  politicians  and  your  Puri- 
tanical northern  philanthropists  will  undoubtedly  be 
ended.  So  when  my  trousseau  is  ready,  I  shall  be  ready. 
As  to  the  engagement  being  suspended,  I  will  see  papa' 
about  that  at  once  " — this  with  a  little  laugh  and  playful 
threatening  of  the  hand  toward  the  judge's  library  win- 
dow. 

"  Immediately  ?  "  I  cried,  in  rapture. 

"Yes,"  she  said,  starting  and  turning  pale.  "This 
matter  must  be  settled  within  five  minutes,  for  I  see  the 
man  who  will  do  all  he  can  to  prevent  our  union  from  being 
made  complete."  As  she  said  this  she  pointed  down  the 
avenue,  and  following  the  direction  of  her  hand,  I  saw 
a  gentleman  riding  up  the  pretty  road  that  led  from 
Columbia. 

"  His  name?"  I  gasped. 

"Amos  Pierson,"  she  faltered,  and  with  that  disap- 
peared by  one  of  the  French  windows  leading  from 
the  old-fashioned  southern  portico  into  her  father's 
library. 

I  gazed  very  savagely  at  this  supposed  enemy  of  my 
happiness  as  he  rode  up  the  avenue,  and  did  not  think 
him  handsome. 

He  was  a  man  about  fifty  years  of  age,  rather  inclined 
to  be  florid  and  stout,  with  brilliant  steel-blue  eyes,  an 
honest  forehead,  but  a  treacherous  mouth.  He  frequently 
laughed,  and  showed  exceedingly  white,  large  fangy 
teeth.  He  was  dressed  in  the  southern  style  of  that  day, 
in  black  broadcloth  somewhat  too  large  for  him,  dark 
slouch  hat,  pro  lounced  diamonds  and  massive  gold 
jewelry  in  the  form  of  rings  and  watch-chain.  He  was 
followed  by  a  handsome  young  quadroon  slave,  carrying 
a  valise  and  saddle-bags  upon  the  horse  he  rode  at  a 
short  distance  behind  his  master. 

"  Ain't  he  horrid  ?  "  whispered  Miss  Belle  in  my  ear, 
as  she  came  beside  me  to  witness  the  new  arrival.  "  He  is 
like  Sol  Smith,  the  actor,  when  he  plays  Jacques  Strop," 
for  this  young  lady,  though  but  sixteen,  had  a  passionate 


20  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

love  for  the  theater,  and  regarded  a  visit  to  Charleston, 
where  she  could  see  any  of  the  popular  pieces  of  that 
day,  as  one  of  the  joys  of  her  existence. 

Mr.  Pierson,  however,  not  having  heard  this  remark, 
flashed  at  the  young  lady  a  grinny  smile,  saluted  her  with 
a  wave  of  his  hand,  and  coming  up  to  her,  said,  enthusi- 
astically :  "  You  have  done  the  business  in  South  Caro- 
lina a  little  ahead  of  us  Georgians,  Miss  Belle,  but  we 
won't  be  far  behind  you.  These  northern  abolitionists 
who  would  rob  us  of  our  property  must  be  checked  at 
once  and  forever." 

These  remarks  from  a  man  who  had  not  yet  lost  his 
New  England  twang,  and  whose  every  manner  and  gesture 
indicated  his  Yankee  origin,  seemed  to  me  as  astonishing 
as  they  were  disgusting  ;  but  he  was  like  most  northern 
men  who  from  self-interest  or  association  took  the  part  of 
the  South  in  our  late  quarrel ;  the  further  north  a  man 
came  from,  the  more  bitter,  unrelenting,  bloodthirsty  and 
cruel  he  was  in  his  sentiments,  expressions,  and  denuncia- 
tions of  the  birth-place  that  he  had  disowned  and  upon 
which  he  was  willing  to  make  war.  This  was  not  so  aston- 
ishing as  it  would  seem,  for  nearly  all  of  these  men  had 
come  down  south  as  slave  traders  or  overseers, — two 
occupations  that  did  not  tend  to  develop  the  sympathy 
and  kindliness  of  the  human  heart. 

Mr.  Pierson  had  begun  as  overseer  some  thirty  years 
before  I  saw  him,  and  from  that  had  graduated  to 
slave  dealer.  Then,  having  accumulated  considerable 
money  by  speculating  in  black  flesh  and  blood,  he  had 
gradually  drifted  into  the  cotton  trade,  and  was  now  sup- 
posed to  be  the  richest  cotton  broker  in  any  of  the  Gulf 
States.  He  was  consequently  a  most  pronounced  seces- 
sionist and  an  intense  hater  of  everything  that  was  not 
southern. 

"  You  mean,"  said  Miss  Belle,  spicily,  "  that  we  im- 
pulsive South  Carolinians  have  stolen  a  march  upon  you 
lazy,  sluggish  Georgians  ; — but  permit  me  to  introduce  a 
reformed  Black  Republican  — Mr.  Lawrence  Bryant,  Mr. 
Amos  Pierson." 

It  was  vitally  to  my  interest  that  Laura  should  conclude 
her  interview  with  her  father  without  interruption  from 
the  gentleman  before  me  ;  anxious  to  detain  him,  I  joined 
the  conversation.  • 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  21 

*'  A  reformed  Black  Republican  ?  Why  this  is  a 
curiosity  !  "  sneered  Mr.  Pierson. 

"  I  would  be  a  curiosity  if  I  were  one,"  replied  I,  rather 
hotly,  for  the  appearance  of  the  man  before  me  irritated 
me  to  such  an  extent  that  I  was  not  as  careful  of  my 
words  as  my  position  at  the  moment  should  have  dictated. 

"  Ah  !  you  are  7wt  a  reformed  Black  Republican  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes  he  is,"  laughed  Miss  Belle ;  "  Laura  has 
reformed  him." 

"  Laura  ?  "  said  Mr.  Pierson,  giving  me  an  ugly  glance, 
while  his  face  grew  red  with  some  emotion  the  mention 
of  my  beautiful  sweetheart's  name  brought  to  his  mind. 
"  Laura  ?     What  had  she  to  do  with  it  ?  " 

"  Oh,  that  you  will  discover  in  time,"  laughed  Miss 
Belle.  "He  came  here  a  northern  man,  but  he  has 
decided  to  remain  south.  He  has  concluded  to  be  one 
of  us  if " 

Here  I  interrupted  hastily :  '*  Miss  Belle  imagines, 
because  I  do  not  contradict  her  southern  ideas,  that  I  have 
forgotten  what  my  relatives  and  friends  in  Illinois  have 
written  to  me — that  it  is  the  feeling  of  every  one  in  my 
old  home  that  the  Union  must  be  preserved  at  any  cost, 
and  in  any  way." 

"Ah!  then  they  would  make  war  upon  us?"  laughed 
Mr.  Pierson,  showing  his  teeth.  "  Well,  I  am  ready  to  eat 
the  first  northern  Black  Republican  on  the  sacred  southern 
soil  of  our  State." 

"Perhaps  you  had  better  begin  with  me,"  I  returned 
hotly,  but  the  conversation  was  here  brought  to  an  end  by 
Miss  Laura  coming  from  the  library,  followed  by  her 
father,  and  welcoming  in  true  southern  hospitable  man- 
ner the  man  she  knew  would  do  his  utmost  to  frustrate 
what  at  that  time  I  was  confident  from  her  confession 
must  be  very  dear  to  her. 

As  it  was  growing  toward  evening,  it  was  time  for  me 
to  return  to  Columbia.  Mr.  Pierson,  with  the  judge,  had 
entered  the  house,  while  I  made  my  adieux  to  Miss  Belle, 
who  then  kindly  turned  her  back  upon  us  and  allowed 
her  sister  and  myself  a  tete-a-tete  as  I  rode  down  the 
avenue. 

"It's  all  right,  Lawrence,"  said  vay  fiancee,  as  soon  as 
we  were  out  of  Miss  Belle's  hearing.  "  Papa  knows  I 
can  marry  no  one  but   you,  and   h^s  consented  to  our 


22  HOW    I    ESCAPED 

engagement,  only  stipulating  that  it  shall  not  be  an- 
nounced, and  that  our  marriage  must  be  postponed  until 
our  political  troubles  have  ceased.  God  grant  the  time 
may  come  soon." 

"  I  echo  that  prayer,"  I  whispered,  as  I  kissed  my  thanks, 
and  waving  my  hat,  I  rode  laughingly  and  happily  away, 
only  once  turning  around  to  look  at  the  fair  girl  as  she 
stood,  the  setting  sun  illumining  and  making  bright  her 
face,  surrounded  and  backgrounded  by  the  beautiful 
green  foliage  of  the  avenue  oaks. 

"Good-by,"  she  cried,  waving  her  hand.  '' It  will  be 
all  right  in  a  month,"  while  I  reechoed  her  words,  and, 
made  foolish  by  love,  believed  them  ! 


CHAPTER   III. 

LOVE    OR    DUTY. 

But  during  the  month  which  I  had  supposed  would  see 
the  political  horizon  clear,  Mississippi,  Florida,  and  all 
the  Gulf  States  seceded,  and  every  day  made  it  further 
and  further  from  being  "all  right." 

The  Southern  Confederacy  was  formed,  the  various 
branches  of  its  government  completed,  and  company  after 
company  and  regiment  after  regiment  thronged  through 
Columbia  en  7'oute  for  Charleston,  to  encircle  with  brist- 
ling batteries  and  frowning  guns  the  only  fortification  in 
South  Carolina  that  still  flaunted  the  flag  of  the  United 
States. 

This  immense  transportation  of  troops  and  military 
material  made  my  railroad  duties  exceedingly  arduous; 
consequently  I  had  little  time  to  visit  the  Peytons,  though 
every  spare  moment  of  mine  was  devoted  to  my  sweet- 
heart, and  we  passed,  even  at  that  time,  many  happy 
hours  together. 

Laura  informed  me  that,  upon  learning  from  her  father 
of  her  contemplated  matrimonial  union  with  me,  Mr.  Pier- 
son  had  left  the  next  day  for  Savannah,  having  wished 
her — rather  ironically,  she  thought — a  happy  ending  to 
her  engagement. 

During  this  time,  however,  two  occurrences  took  place 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  23 

to  which  I  gave  but  little  heed  at  the  moment,  but  which 
affected  me  very  seriously  shortly  afterward.  They  were 
these: 

One  day  young  Caucus  came  into  my  ofifice,  and,  in  his 
excitable  darky  manner,  said  :  "  Mas'  Bryant,  dar  am 
sev'ral  officers  below  dat  am  anxious  for  a  interview." 

I  ordered  them  to  be  admitted,  and  found  that  they 
were  two  members  of  the  staff  of  General  Beauregard 
who  was  then  in  command  of  the  Confederate  forces  about 
Charleston.  One  of  them,  Stuart  Bee,  a  Georgian  and 
a  particular  friend  of  mine,  handed  me  a  letter  tendering 
me  a  staff  appointment  upon  the  transportation  corps  of 
the  Confederate  army.  He  said  they  had  called  to  ask  if 
I  did  not  wish  to  take  immediate  charge  of  the  movement 
of  the  troops  then  being  pushed  forward  to  reinforce  the 
Confederate  soldiers  already  about  Charleston. 

I  replied  that  I  did  not  wish  to  join  the  Confederate 
army  in  any  capacity. 

"  Why  not  ?  "  asked  Bee.  "  Do  you  not  now  forward 
to  us  all  the  troops  that  pass  here  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  I  replied,  "  as  engineer  of  the  South  Carolina 
Railroad,  but  not  as  a  member  of  the  Confederate  army." 

''Well,"  he  replied,  "you  do  your  work  in  a  very  satis- 
factory manner;  but  I  had  hoped  that  you  would  accept 
the  appointment,  because  it  would  put  an  immediate  stop 
to  the  local  prejudice  that  is  growing  up  against  you.  For 
your  own  sake,  you  should  make  it  plain  that  you  are 
favorable  to  the  Confederate  cause.  The  report  that  you 
have  refused  this  offer  will  only  tend  to  make  your  posi- 
tion here  more  uncomfortable  with  our  people  who  sur- 
round you." 

"  I  am  very  much  obliged,"  I  replied,  "  for  the  honor 
tendered  me,  but  must  still  refuse.  I  am  fully  sensible 
of  the  inconvenience  that  my  declination  may  bring  to  me, 
but  cannot  reconsider  the  proposition.  Do  you  know, 
by  the  bye,  who  was  it  that  recommended  me  for  the 
position  ? " 

'•I  believe  Mr.  Amos  Pierson,  of  Savannah,  who  has  lately 
accepted  some  large  contracts  for  army  supplies  for  the 
Confederate  Government,"  replied  my  friend. 

With  this  the  two  officers  said  good-by,  leaving  me 
to  reflect  that  Mr.  Amos  Pierson,  through  his  recommenda- 
tion to  General  Beauregard,  had  succeeded  in  compelling 


24  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

me  to  assume  a  stand  that  in  this  exciting  time  would  prob- 
ably cause  my  social  ostracism  by  most  of  my  neighbors 
in  Columbia. 

Evidences  of  this  in  the  next  few  days  became  appar- 
ent. My  refusal  to  accept  an  ofifice  upon  the  staff  of 
Genera]  Beauregard  was  noted  by  the  local  papers  and 
commented  upon  in  no  flattering  terms,  and  the  cold 
shoulders  that  had  been  turned  to  me  for  some  time  past 
during  my  business  and  social  intercourse  with  the  citi- 
zens of  the  town  became  much  more  cold. 

Even  Laura  remarked  this  with  a  sigh  as  she  said: 
"  What  a  pity,  Lawrence,  that  you  are  not  one  of  us — one 
who  loves  the  South." 

"  As  well  as  I  do  one  of  its  maidens,"  laughed  L 
but  the  laugh  had  a  rather  forced  and  unpleasant  ring 
in  it. 

The  second  event  was  the  departure  of  young  Arthur 
Peyton  with  his  company  to  join  the  forces  about  Charles- 
ton. 

The  lad  went  off  in  high  spirits,  laughing  and  happy  as 
if  he  were  going  to  a  picnic  or  a  frolic,  but  after  that  a 
little  of  the  coming  gloom  of  the  war  descended  upon  his 
family.  His  father  sighed  more  often,  and  Miss  Laura 
and  Miss  Belle  seemed  to  be  even  more  southern  than 
before  in  their  sentiments,  the  latter  young  lady  saying  to 
me  one  day:  "  If  I  don't  soon  make  a  true  South  Caro- 
linian of  you  by  coaxing  and  by  being  your  friend  in  your 
suit  for  Laura,  I  shall  begin  to  try  sterner  measures,  Mr. 
Lawrence  Bryant." 

She  said  this  with  a  very  sweet  sixteen-year-old  laugh, 
but  I  felt,  notwithstanding,  that  there  was  an  unpleasant 
tone  of  truth  in  her  remark. 

So  things  drifted  on  and  on,  always  for  the  worse,  until 
one  day  Columbia  became  a  ferment  of  excitement  under 
the  news  of  the  bombardment  and  capture  of  Fort  Sumter 
by  the  Confederate  forces. 

From  that  time  on  I  knew  that  there  was  no  hope  of 
any  peaceful  solution  of  the  difificulty  that  had  begun  by 
the  secession  of  South  Carolina  four  months  before. 

I  felt  that  my  duty  called  me  to  the  North,  that  my 
love  bound  me  to  the  South,  and  so  I  lingered  despite 
the  warning  of  Mr.  Tom  Baxter,  who  arrived  the  day 
afterward  from  Georgia. 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  25 

"  Are  you  going  with  me,  Lawrence  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  Going  where  ?  " 

*'  North,  of  course,  while  you  have  the  chance." 

"  Not  at  present,"  I  replied. 

"  Not  at  present  ?"  he  echoed.  "  If  you  don't  go  now, 
you  will  never  go.  When  two  armies  face  each  other  in 
Virginia  and  Tennessee,  it  will  not  be  so  easy  a  matter 
to  pass  through  their  contending  lines  as  it  is  to  buy  a 
through  ticket  for  Washington  and  get  north  in  less  than 
two  days,  as  I  am  about  to  do." 

"  Still,"  I  replied,  "  I  shall  remain  here  for  the  present." 

"  Ah  !  I  suppose  it  is  the  young  lady  who  still  detains 
you  ?     Marry  her,  and  take  her  north  with  you  !  " 

"■  At  such  a  time  she  would  not  leave  her  father  and 
her  sister.  I  fear  that  1  will  lose  her  if  I  leave  her,  and 
I  love  her  too  well  to  give  her  up." 

"Well,  my  boy,"  returned  the  sententious  Tom,  "if 
you  stay  here  two  months  longer,  you  will  not  be  able  to 
leave  peaceably,  and  you'll  lose  the  girl  anyway." 

"  What  makes  you  think  that  ? — Laura  Peyton  loves 
me  !"  muttered  I,  in  almost  a  tremble. 

"  Laura  Peyton  loves  you  mow  ;  but  wait  till  the 
fighting  begins,  and  your  sweetheart  will  very  soon  grow 
cold  to  a  man  who  is  not  willing  to  risk  his  life  for  the 
cause  s/ie  loves.  You  will  not  be  able  to  stand  against 
her  prayers  and  entreaties  ;  and  if  you  do  not,  you  and  I, 
my  dear  old  chum,  will  perhaps  meet  in  combat  upon  the 
battle-field.  Take  your  last  and  only  chance  to  do  your 
duty.  There'll  be  no  half  measures  in  this  conflict.  Go 
north  and  be  a  northern  man,  or  remain  in  the  South  and 
you,  nolens  volens,  will  have  to  fight  for  the  Confederacy." 

With  this  Mr.  Baxter  proceeded  on  his  way,  but  though 
out  of  my  view,  his  remarks  lingered  in  my  mind,  and 
had  it  not  been  for  the  beautiful  eyes,  welcoming  arms, 
and  beguiling  smiles  of  the  girl  I  loved,  I  should  soon 
have  followed  Mr.  Baxter  north. 

Thus,  undecided,  struggling  between  love  and  duty,  I 
remained  until  the  first  day  of  July,  1861,  drew  near. 

From  that  day  the  Confederate  Government  had  decreed 
that  all  people  remaining  under  its  jurisdiction  should  be 
considered  subjects  of  the^Confederacy  and  not  permitted 
to  leave  its  borders  without  its  permission.  Such  per- 
missi  n  it  was  considered  a  military  necessity  not  to  grant. 


26  HOW    1    ESCAPED. 

save  to  women,  children,  and  persons  not  subject  to  mili- 
tary duty. 

I  was  now  compelled  to  take  some  definite  action. 
After  a  night  spent  in  alternate  wavering  between  my 
love  for  my  country  and  my  love  for  Laura  Peyton,  I 
decided  to  return  to  the  North,  if  possible  taking  her  with 
me  as  my  wife, — if  not,  hoping  that  she  would  be  true  to 
me  through  the  few  months  which  I  thought  it  would 
probably  take  to  settle  the  contest  now  beginning  be- 
tween the  North  and  South. 

Actuated  by  this  idea,  I  rode  out  through  the  pretty 
streets  of  Columbia  to  the  home  of  my  sweetheart.  It  was 
a  very  calm,  beautiful  summer  evening,  but  I  hardly 
noticed  it,  so  engrossed  was  I  in  the  misery  and  anxiety 
which  my  resolution  had  brought  to  me. 

As  I  rode  up  the  avenue,  a  horseman  rapidly  passed  me, 
apparently  coming  from  Judge  Peyton's  house.  He  was 
muttering  to  himself  in  some  trouble  apparently  greater 
than  mine.  His  features  were  not  so  distorted  by  misery, 
however,  that  1  failed  to  recognize  in  the  uncertain  light 
the  face  of  Harry  Walton.  He  was  dressed  in  the  uniform 
of  a  captain  of  the  Hampton  Legion,  and  rode  by  me  so 
rapidly  that  I  did  not  think  he  saw  me,  for  he  uttered  no 
word  of  greeting,  and  gave  me  no  salutation. 

This  was  not  altogether  surprising,  though  we  had  been 
great  friends  a  few  months  before,  and  chums  at  college 
in  '55,  and  it  was  partly  owing  to  his  friendship  that  I  had 
obtained  my  railroad  position.  Still,  ever  since  the  bright 
face  of  Laura  Peyton  had  come  between  us,  he  had  grown 
colder  and  colder,  and  his  hearty  shake  of  the  hand  had 
gradually  changed  to  a  bow,  the  bow  to  a  nod,  and  the 
nod  had  become  colder  and  colder,  until  we  were  now 
almost  strangers.  This  was  partly  due  to  our  different 
political  senthnents,  but  more  from  his  suspicion  that  I 
had  found  favor  in  the  sight  of  the  woman  he  loved, 
though  as  Laura's  engagement  to  me  had  never  been 
formally  announced,  he  had  by  no  means  given  up  all 
hope  of  winning  her  hand,  and  his  visits  to  her  home  in 
the  last  few  months  had  been  as  frequent  as  my  own. 

On  entering  the  house,  I  was  greeted  by  Miss  Belle,  who 
rather  cavalierly  informed  me  that  her  sister  would  not 
be  visible  for  a  few  minutes,  but  if  I  could  waste  a  little 
of  my   time  on  her,  she  would  tell  me  something  that 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  2J 

would  perhaps  prove  to  me  that,  notwithstanding  my 
lukewarm  southern  sentiments,  she  was  still  my  friend, — ■ 
"  though  I  am  not  goijig  to  be  so  much  longer,"  she  said, 
rather  savagely. 

"Well,  what  have  you  done  forme?"  I  asked,  trying 
to  turn  the  conversation. 

"Done  for  you?  I  have  this  evening,  with  consum- 
mate tact  for  a  girl  of  my  years,  prevented  your  sweet- 
heart's being  proposed  to  in  full  form  with  all  the 
romantic  advantages  of  military  uniform,  broken  heart, 
and  instant  departure  for  war  and  bloodshed  by  one 
Harry  Walton,  once  attorney  at  law,  but  now  captain  in 
Wade  Hampton's  gallant  legion.  He  looked  so  hand- 
some in  his  regimentals,  that  I  would  not  have  given  much 
for  your  chances  had  he  ever  asked  Laura,"  remarked 
Miss  Belle,  rather  sarcastically ;  "  and  if  he  ever  comes 
back  wounded  for  our  glorious  cause,  I  wouldn't  give 
much  for  them  any  way,"  continued  the  girl,  with  a  little 
laugh,  partly  of   merriment  and  perhaps  partly  of  malice. 

"  He  didn't  see  her,  then  ?" 

"  Oh,  yes,  he  saw  her  ;  but  he  didn't  have  any  chance  to 
propose  to  her,  for  I  took  care  to  make  the  third  at  the 
parting,  and  didn't  give  him  a  single  second  for  a  tete-a- 
tctc.  Nevertheless  their  parting  was  very  affectionate, 
and  perhaps  a  little  tender.  There  were  tears  on  both 
sides  as  he  bade  her  good-by.  That  is  the  reason  she 
won't  see  you  now, — red  eyes  are  not  becoming." 

"  And  why  have  you  done  this  thing  for  me — one 
whom  you  half  dislike  ?  "  ventured  I. 

"  Because,"  replied  the  lady,  airily,  "  I  still  have  hopes 
of  you  ;  and,  until  I  give  up  in  despair,  am  perfectly  will- 
ing to  be  your  friend  ;  but  when  I  do  make  up  my  mind 
once,  definitely  and  forever,  that  you  will  never  become 
one  of  us,  that  moment  my  good  offices  will  leave  you, 
and  I  shall  do  my  best  to  assist  Harry  Walton  in  gaining 
the  love  of  my  sister.  You  see  I'm  an  artful  recruiting 
officer,  for  the  C.  S.  A." 

This  conversation  was  now  interrupted  by  the  entrance 
of  Laura  whose  white  summer  dress  made  her  look  to  me 
prettier  than  ever — perhaps  because  1  thought  I  should 
soon  part  from  her. 

There  was  a  suspicion  of  redness  in  her  eyes  and  a 
tearine  s  about  her  cmile  which  indicated  that  her  sister 


25  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

had  not  exaggerated  the  effect  of  Captain  Walton's  fare- 
well. 

After  a  few  moments'  conversation,  Miss  Belle  left  the 
room,  and  I  began  to  explain  my  motives  and  my  plans 
to  my  sweetheart,  once  or  twice  interrupted  by  a  gasp  of 
pain  and  a  sob  that  carried  with  it  no  tears. 

When  I  had  finished,  she  looked  at  me  and  faltered  : 
"  Lawrence,  I  know  if  you  part  from  me  now,  it  will  be 
forever." 

"  Forever  ! — no,  no.  I'll  come  back  for  you,  as  sure  as  I 
stand  by  you  now.  But  come  with  me  north — leave  all 
this  trouble  behind  you " 

"  Leave  my  poor  old  father — my  little  sister — who 
have  just  now  given  Arthur  to  their  country's  cause — • 
leave  them  ?  No,  no,  Lawrence  ;  you  may  love  me,  but 
now  you  do  not  honor  me." 

"  Not  when  I  beg  you  to  be  my  wife  ?  " 

"  Yes,  but  if  I  accepted — if  I  let  myself  be  happy — if 
I  deserted  the  South  and  my  dear  father  and  sister,  I 
should  despise  myself.  Lawrence,  if  you  wish  to  retain 
my  love,  never  ask  me  to  do  this  mean  thing  again  !  " 
This  last  the  girl  said  in  a  haughty  despair,  walking  up 
and  down  the  room,  but  sometimes  stopping  to  kiss  and 
fondle,  and  at  others  to  flash  almost  angry  glances  at  me. 

The  scene  was  becoming  cruel.  Fortunately  it  was 
interrupted  by  a  servant  bringing  in  a  letter  addressed  to 
Miss  Laura  Peyton  and  marked  "  Immediate."  As  she 
tore  it  open,  I  recognized  that  the  handwriting  was  that 
of  Harry  Walton. 

She  glanced  through  it,  handed  it  to  me,  and  said  fal- 
teringly  :  "  Harry  Walton  asks  me  to  marry  him  ;  and 
you  leave  me  at  such  a  moment  ?  " 

"  What  have  you  or  I  to  fear  from  Harry  Walton  ?  He 
is  a  gentleman,"  I  answered. 

"  But  there  is  one  who  is  not  a  gentleman,"  she 
gasped.  "Amos  Pierson,  through  his  business  hold 
upon  my  father,  still  thinks  to  win  me." 

"  Still  thinks  to  win  you  ?  A  man  whom  you  de- 
spise ?  " 

"  Yes  ;  here  are  the  proofs,"  and  she  handed  me  a 
bundle  of  letters.  "  I  had  intended  to  show  you  these 
some  time  ago,  but  circumstances  compel  me  to  let  you 
read  them  at  once.     This  man  will  not  give  up  his  hopes 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  29 

of  my  love, — will  not  give  up  his  desire  for  my  hand.  Can 
you  at  such  a  moment,  even  for  your  political  principles 
leave  me,  the  woman  who  loves  you^  who  has  stood 
against  the  advice  of  the  friends  of  her  youth  and  the  en- 
treaties of  her  relatives,  to  be  true  to  the  promise  that 
six  months  ago  she  gave  you  to  be  your  wife  ?  Can 
you  desert  and  leave  me  alone  for  an  indefinite  period  in 
a  land  that  may  perhaps  become  the  scene  of  actual  war- 
fare ?  Can  you  part  from  me  and  hope  to  win  me  ?  Stay 
here,  and  I  will  love  you  forever  ;  desert  me,  and  I  shall 
doubt  the  truth  of  your  affection.  Is  it  my  love,  our 
happiness,  and  your  presence  by  my  side, — or  do  you 
leave  me  surrounded  by  enemies  to  my  affection  for  you, 
to  be  parted  more  and  more  from  you  each  day  by 
the  political  passions  of  this  awful  time  ?  Will  you,  dare 
you — dare  I  let  you — take  such  chances  against  the  hap- 
piness of  our  lives  ?  Do  you  remain  in  the  South,  or  do 
you  go  north  ?  " 

Enforced  by  pleading  eyes,  clinging  arms,  and  loving 
kisses  from  the  woman  he  loved,  what  man  could  give 
an  answer  other  than  I  did  ?     "  I  remain  !  " 

As  I  left  her  that  evening,  I  thought  there  was  triumph 
as  well  as  love  in  Laura  Peyton's  eyes. 

The  first  of  July,  1861,  passed.  I  still  stayed  in 
South  Carolina,  was  considered  a  citizen  of  the  Con- 
federacy, and  became  subject  to  Confederate  military 
law. 


CHAPTER    IV. 


THE    EMPTY    SLEEVE. 


The  immense  transportation  now  forced  upon  all  rail- 
roads in  the  South,  of  arms,  ammunition  and  men,  to  the 
scene  of  war  in  Virginia  now  occupied  the  most  of  my 
time. 

The  rest  of  it  I  gave  to  her. 

In  fact,  almost  all  other  social  intercourse  was  debarred 
me,  for  the  rumor  had  been  circulated  constantly,  and  con- 
tinually gained  ground  in  the  community,  that  my  sympa- 
thies were  northern.  Thus  shunned  by  the  friends  and 
acquaintances  of  a  few  months  before,  I  was  compelled 


3®  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

to  live  almost  entirely  by  myself,  and  the  only  solace  that 
I  had  was  the  sweet  caresses  and  bright  smiles  of  my 
fiancee  who  seemed  at  this  time  to  be  made  even  more 
tender  than  before  by  the  recollection  that  for  her  sake  I 
had  isolated  myself  in  a  community  so  entirely  hostile  to 
me.  These  reports  as  to  my  northern  sentiments  were  so 
continually  and  systematically  spread,  that  I  knew  some 
one  interested  in  annoying  me  circulated  them.  I  had  a 
faint  suspicion  that  this  was  due  to  the  efforts  of  Mr. 
Amos  Pierson,  who  had  now  become  one  of  the  leading 
army  contractors  in  the  South,  and  was  making  a  large 
amount  of  money  from  his  operations  with  the  Confeder- 
ate Government.  Consequently  he  had  great  weight  and 
influence  in  its  councils.  This  suspicion  was  made  a 
certainty  by  another  proffer  of  a  staff  appointment  from 
General  Pembcrton,  who  had  become  the  local  com 
mander  of  the  district. 

I  again  refused,  and  also  discovered  that  this  offer  was 
made  at  Mr.  Pierson's  suggestion. 

The  local  papers  again  published  my  refusal,  and  made 
longer  and  more  violent  comments  upon  it  than  before, 
but  the  Confederate  Government  took  no  action  at  this 
time  as  to  forcing  me  into  their  service,  probably  knowing 
that  my  experience  as  a  railroad  engineer  was  of  great 
value  to  them  in  my  present  location. 

So  the  Confederacy  drifted  along  through  the  varying 
successes  and  hopes  and  fears  of  the  first  two  years  of  its 
existence. 

It  had  become  tacitly  understood  between  my  sweet- 
heart and  myself  that  as  soon  as  the  war  was  over  we 
were  to  be  married.  I  had  at  first  hoped  that  this  would 
not  mean  more  than  a  year's  delay,  but  as  time  wore  on, 
the  end  seemed  further  and  further  in  the  distance.  The 
dogged  persistence  of  the  North  seemed  only  to  become 
more  dogged  and  more  determined  by  defeat  and  disas- 
ter, until  early  in  December,  1862,  the  battle  of  Fred- 
ericksburg was  fought,  and  brought  great  misery  to  me. 

The  news  of  the  success  of  the  Confederate  arms  had 
been  received  by  telegraph.  The  ladies  of  Columbia, 
and  those  of  the  men  who  were  not  in  the  army,  were 
excited  with  the  joy  of  triumph. 

Two  weeks  after  this  battle,  on  Christmas  Day,  1  had 
ridden  out  to  Judge  Peyton's  to  enjoy  the  only   hospital- 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  3I 

ity  I  could  then  find  in  the  community.  For  I  had  no 
friends,  though  still  waited  upon  by  the  faithful  Caucus, 
who  stuck  to  me  in  spite  of,  as  he  expressed  it,  "  de 
an'mosityob  de  South  !  " 

Laura  had  received  me  as  usual,  but  her  sister,  Miss 
Belle,  who  had  by  this  time  gradually  given  up  all  hope 
of  making  me  a  southerner  in  feeling,  remarked  with 
some  asperity  that  she  thought  it  was  about  time  I 
showed  myself  to  be  a  man,  and  instead  of  making  love 
to  young  ladies,  went  out  and  fought,  like  other  men, 
for  them  on  the  battle-field,—"  like  Major  Harry  Walton, 
for  instance,"  for  by  this  time  death  had  made  promotion 
rapid  in  the  Confederate  army,  and  Walton  was  now  a 
major,  while  Arthur,  their  brother,  but  twenty-two  years 
of  age,  was  a  captain  in  one  of  the  South  Carolina  regi- 
ments. 

The  family  had  received  no  news  from  him,  though 
they  knew  that  he  was  in  the  army  engaged  at  Fredericks- 
burg. During  the  first  months  of  the  war  the  anxiety  of 
the  judge's  family  for  the  safety  of  the  hope  of  their 
house  had  been  something  upon  which  it  was  fearful  to 
look.  The  panting  eagerness  of  the  two  girls  as  they 
read  the  dispatches,  the  suppressed  apprehension  with 
which  they  looked  at  the  long  lists  of  killed  and  wounded 
that  followed  every  battle,  made  my  heart  bleed  for 
them.  But  as  engagement  after  engagement  took  place, 
and  their  brother's  name  never  appeared  in  the  lists  of 
maimed  or  dead,  such  is  the  curious  effect  of  habit  that 
even  they  became  accustomed  to  the  suspense,  and  rather 
thought  that  their  brother  enjoyed  a  charmed  life  that 
could  not  be  shortened  or  endangered  by,  as  they  ex- 
pressed it,  "  Yankee  bullets." 

They  had  not  received  any  communication  from  the 
young  man  since  Fredericksburg,  and  thought  it  curious 
that  he  had  not  written  to  assure  them  of  his  safety. 
Though  knowing  the  exigencies  and  demands  of  military 
life,  it  did  not  create  any  great  anxiety  in  their  minds,  as 
the  lists  of  killed  and  wounded,  as  hurriedly  telegraphed 
from  the  field  hospitals,  had  not  contained  the  young 
man's  name. 

The  judge  had  just  come  out  on  the  veranda  to  smoke 
his  after-dinner  pipe,  as  good  cigars  in  those  days  were 
a  very  rare  article  in  the  South,  while  corncobs  and  to- 


32  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

bacco  could  be  always  obtained.  I  had  accompanied 
him,  and  we  were  sitting  down,  the  old  gentleman  talking 
to  me  about  the  happy  Christmas  days  of  a  few  years  be- 
fore when  his  son  Arthur  was  at  home— a  subject  on 
which  he  seemed  to  linger  ;  for  the  judge  doted  more 
and  more  upon  the  boy  as  his  absence  became  longer. 
Suddenly  I  heard  a  subdued  cry  from  Miss  Belle,  who 
was  looking  out  of  one  of  the  upper  windows  over 
our  heads,  and  turning  around  I  saw  a  light  wagon 
just  drawing  up  at  the  steps  of  the  house.  In  it  upon 
the  back  seat  were  two  Confederate  officers,  one  of  them 
supporting  the  other,  who  seemed  in  an  almost  fainting 
condition. 

As  the  wheels  stopped,  he  appeared  to  rouse  himself, 
and  said  faintly,  though  in  quite  a  weak  voice  :  "  Home 
again  !  " 

The  next  instant,  with  a  scream,  "  It's  Arthur's  voice!  " 
Miss  Belle  and  the  judge  had  run  to  the  wagon,  from 
which  Harry  Walton,  with  bandaged  head,  was  support- 
ing Arthur  Peyton.  They  were  around  him  in  an  instant 
with  tears,  caresses,  and  cries  of  joy. 

Then  suddenly  Miss  Belle  shrieked  out  :  "  Arthur, 
Where's  your  arm  ?  " 

The  boy  gasped,  "  Lost  at  Fredericksburg,"  and  fainted 
away  upon  his  father's  breast,  who  groaned  "  Great  God  ! 
it's  his  right  arm  !  "  while  Laura  looking  at  him  with  a 
pale  face,  sobbed,  "  Maimed  for  life  !  " 

In  a  moment  they  had  him  upstairs  ;  I,  calling  for  my 
horse  to  be  saddled,  prepared  to  ride  into  Columbia  for  a 
doctor.  While  this  was  being  done,  Harry  Walton  and  I, 
left  alone  together,  looked  at  each  other  on  the  veranda. 

"  You,"  I  said,  "  are  wounded  also  ?" 

"  Yes,"  replied  he;  ''  the  fragment  of  a  shell  grazed  my 
head  at  Fredericksburg.  My  hurt  is  slight.  God  knows 
how  Laura's  brother's  wound  will  turn  out !  " 

We  neither  of  us  went  in,  to  interrupt  the  first  agony  of 
grief  that  came  upon  the  Peytons.  Both  Major  Walton 
and  myself  considered  such  a  scene  as  a  sacred  one. 

A  moment  after,  Miss  Laura's  voice  was  heard  crying, 
"  Get  a  doctor,  quick  !  "  and  Belle  screamed,  "  Arthur's 
dying  !  " 

I  sprang  upon  my  horse,  and  as  the  judge  came  hur- 
riedly upon  the  veranda,  I  shouted:  "  Don't  fear  !     I  will 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  33 

have  a  doctor  here  as  soon  as  horseflesh  can  do  it,"  and 
galloped  away  down  the  avenue.  An  hour  afterward 
i  returned,  followed  by  the  best  physician  in  Columbia 
that  I  could  obtain,— good  doctors  being  scarce,  most  of 
them  having  volunteered  their  services  in  the  field. 

While  the  physician  went  up  to  make  his  examination, 
the  young  ladies  came  downstairs,  and  Miss  Belle,  with 
feminine  logic  and  philosophy,  strode  up  to  me,  and  with 
flashing  eyes  whispered  :  ''  It  was  your  friends  who  have 
done  this  to  my  brother.  How  can  you  expect  me  ever 
to  endure  your  sight  again  ?  " 

*'  Hush!  "  said  Laura,  coming  between  us.  "  Belle,  you 
are  unjust.  Lawrence  had  no  more  to  do  with  this  than  you, 
and  has  but  this  moment  proved  his  friendship  and  sym- 
pathy by  doing  everything  in  his  power  to  save  our 
brother's  life." 

"  Oh  !  you  love  him!  "  cried  her  sister;  "you  love  him 
yef  ;  but  when,  if  my  brother  lives,  you  look  at  his  empty 
sleeve,  you  will  hate  this  northern  man  as  I  do."  ^Vith 
that  she  walked  into  the  house. 

"  Forgive  her,  Lawrence,"  said  Laura,  apologetically; 
*'  she  is  but  a  child.  Remember  her  excitement,  her 
love  for  her  brother,  and  her  misery  at  seeing  him  thus 
maimed." 

"  I  have  every  consideration,"  I  replied,  "  for  your  family 
in  your  bereavement;  but  think,  dear  Laura,  in  what  a 
fearful  position  I  am  placed  when  every  misfortune  of  this 
war  is  laid  upon  me, — when  I  am  surrounded  by  enemies, 
and  have  nowhere  to  turn  but  to  the  friendship  of  you 
and  your  family." 

"  I  will  remember,"  said  Laura;  "  I  will  fry  to  remember 
— if  I  can." 

As  these  words,  ominous  to  my  future  happiness,  fell 
from  the  lips  of  the  girl  I  loved,  the  surgeon  came  down 
and  made  his  report.  With  careful  nursing  and  tender 
care,  there  was  every  chance  for  the  young  man's  life. 

"  But  his  arm  !  "  almost  sobbed  the  judge  ;  "  his  arm  ! 
My  poor  maimed  boy  !  "  and  Miss  Belle,  after  echoing  her 
father,  cried  out  to  me,  as  I  rode  away  from  the  house; 
'■'  This  is  what  your  northern  brothers  have  done  to  us, 
Mr.  Lawrence  Bryant  !  " 

Under  these  circumstances  could  my  reflections  that 
evening  as  I  rode  into  Columbia  have  been  pleasant  ones ; 

3 


34  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

or  my  sleep  that  night  have  been  the  sleep  of  the  happy 
and  unconcerned  ? 

The  closing  catastrophe  of  my  courtship  was  coming 
— I  knew  it.  To  reach  the  climax  would  take  but  a  little 
time. 

When  I  rode  out  to  inquire  after  Arthur's  health,  Miss 
Belle  received  me,  sometimes  with  scowls,  sometimes 
with  ironical  remarks,  that  showed  me  that  I  could  expect 
nothing  from  her  but  open  animosity. 

Laura  attempted  to  palliate  this  and  explain  it,  but  even 
as  she  did  so  her  manner  was  forced  and  constrained. 
She  was  not  the  open,  light-hearted  ingenuous  girl  who 
first  became  my  sweetheart  and  then  my  affianced  bride. 
There  was  evidently  some  secret  influence  upon  her 
mind  which  was  weaning  her  heart  from  me. 

In  the  course  of  the  next  two  months  her  brother  had 
recovered  sufficiently  to  lounge  upon  the  veranda,  the 
light  spring  air  every  day  giving  him  greater  and  greater 
strength,  but  the  empty  sleeve  in  his  uniform  was  a  con- 
stant reminder  to  his  sisters  of  what  he  had  lost  :  and 
the  helplessness  of  the  young  man  with  his  right  arm 
gone  stimulated  his  family's  hatred  to  the  North,  which 
fell  upon  me  as  its  nearest  representative.  The  old 
judge's  cordiality  of  manner  gradually  left  him,  his 
answers  to  my  remarks  became  monosyllables,  and  Laura 
herself,  as  she  looked  at  that  empty  sleeve,  seemed  to 
grow  colder  and  colder  to  me,  and  to  show  greater  cor- 
diality and  warmth  to  Major  Walton,  who  every  day  rode 
over  to  inquire  how  the  patient  progressed,  and  to  linger 
all  day  with  the  young  ladies  after  he  had  discovered  that 
the  patient  was  better,  apparently  charming  them  by  his 
anecdotes  of  battle,  and  of  dangers  undertaken  and 
endured  in  the  defense  of  their  beloved  cause. 

In  such  scenes  I,  of  course,  had  no  part,  and  Laura 
seemed  to  take  rather  a  pleasure  in  innuendoes  that 
taunted  me  for  my  lack  of  gallantry  in  not  being  a  sol- 
dier, such  as:  "  This  Columbia  of  ours  cannot  interest  you 
much.  Major  Walton — now  that  all  the  men  have  gone  to 
the  war  " — or—''  Oh!  the  stay-at-homes  !  Were  I  a  man 
like  you,  Mr.  Bryant,  I'd  fight  for  some  side  !  "  Such 
remarks  she  would  emphasize  with  a  haughty  laugh, 
dwelling  a  little  on  the  "  Mr.  Bryant,"  for  she  sometimes 
omitted  to  call  me  Lawrence  at  those  times.    Had  I  been 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  35 

a  thorough  judge  of  a  woman's  heart,  or  not  blinded  by 
misery  ;  after  such  speeches,  I  should  have  known  that 
the  girl's  love  was  still  entirely  mine,  for  then  she  always 
seemed  to  apologize  for  them  by  her  manner,  and  some- 
times to  become  even  more  affectionate  than  she  had 
ever  been  to  me. 

Thus  we  drifted  along,  until  one  day  the  sword  of 
Damocles,  which  had  hung  over  our  engagement  by  so 
fragile  a  hair,  descended  and  severed,  apparently,  the 
love  that  had  bound  us  together. 

It  was  a  slight  incident  that  brought  about  the  crisis. 

I  had  been  talking  with  Arthur,  who  was  now  conva- 
lescent, but  of  course  entirely  disabled  for  active  mili- 
tary service.  The  young  man,  who  had  all  through  this 
affair  been  very  cordial  and  friendly  to  me,  was  saying 
that  he  would  like,  as  soon  as  he  was  a  little  stronger,  to 
obtain  employment  on  the  railroad  of  which  I  was  one  of 
the  officers,  remarking  :  ''  You,  Bryant,  know  that  now 
I've  got  to  use  m.y  brains  for  a  living,  not  my  hands." 
As  he  said  this,  the  young  fellow  gazed  at  his  empty 
sleeve,  and  a  little  spasm  of  agony  ran  over  his  face  ; 
then,  trying  to  conjure  up  a  grin,  he  cried  :  "  Pshaw  ! 
If  I  only  had  left  \.\\%  feeling  of  it  when  I  lost  it  ! — but 
though  it's  buried  up  at  Fredericksburg,  it  ached  all 
night.  That  cold  Virginia  ground  must  have  given  it 
the  rheumatism.'' 

Feeling  for  the  boy's  helplessness,  I  remarked  :  "  You'll 
soon  grow  resigned  to  your  loss,  Arthur." 

"  Perhaps  he  would,"  said  Miss  Belle,  who  had  been 
listening  to  us,  clad  in  a  dark  homespun  dress,  for  the 
blockade  by  this  time  was  beginning  to  tell  upon  the 
ladies'  costumes  down  south,  "if  he  had  another  man  to 
take  his  place."  Then  she  whispered  to  me  :  "  Major 
Walton  goes  to  the  front  again  to-day.  This  time  I  did 
not  interrupt  his  t^te-a-tete  with  Laura — and  the  result — ■ 


•ee 


She  pointed  through  a  vista  of  shrubbery,  and  as  I  looked 
I  gave  a  start.  Walton  was  evidently  taking  leave  of 
my  sweetheart,  and  this  time  he  seemed  in  great  spirits  as 
he  mounted  his  horse. 

What  man  who  loves  is  not  jealous  sometimes  ?  Wal- 
ton left  in  despair  the  last  time — now  he  seemed  radiant 
Had  Laura  given  him  hope  ? 


;^6  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

Thus  working  myself  into  a  fit  of  rage,  I  walked  down 
the  avenue  toward  my  fiancee,  who  was  just  waving  a 
very  gracious  adieu  to  the  dashing  major. 

I  can  see  her  now  as  she  looked  then,  every  graceful 
curve  in  her  girlish  figure  standing  out  in  full  relief 
against  the  clear  blue  of  the  April  sky  ;  for  the  scarcity 
of  cloth  of  all  kinds  in  the  South  at  that  time  compelled 
even  the  women  of  the  wealthiest  classes  to  dress  as 
economically  as  possible,  and  Laura's  frock  of  some  home- 
made jean  or  cotton  was  entirely  without  ornamental  fluff 
or  flounce  to  destroy  the  beauty  of  her  exquisite  form, 
that  combined  the  graces  of  the  girl  with  the  grander 
beauties  of  Avomanhood. 

There  she  stood  clad  in  homespun,  a  few  wild  flowers 
upon  the  bosom  of  her  dress,  a  slight  flush  upon  her  face, 
that  gradually  became  paler  as  she  saw  the  excited  agony 
in  mine. 

"  You  were  bidding  Major  Walton  good-by — judging 
by  his  look,  I  should  presume  the  parting  had  been  a  ten- 
der one,"  1  said,  with  a  slight  sneer,  for  these  long  months 
of  trouble  had  come  upon  me  all  at  once  to  make  me  pas- 
sionate and  hasty. 

<'  You — you  take  a  very  curious  tone  to  me  to-day, 
Lawrence,"  murmured  the  girl,  growing  slightly  paler. 

"  Not  more  curious  than  the  tones  you  have  taken  to 
me  ever  since  your  brother  returned,"  answered  I,  hotly. 

This  was  by  no  means  diplomatic  on  my  part,  as  it  made 
Laura  remember  Arthur's  sufferings  and  loss,  that  had 
gradually  made  her  colder  to  me  as  a  northern  man. 

The  color  came  back  in  a  rush  to  her  cheeks.  "  You 
do  well,  Mr.  Bryant,  to  remind  me  of  what  has  come  to 
me  and  mine  from  the  hands  of  your  friends,"  she  said, 
haughtily.  "■  You  have  made  me  at  last  remember  what 
my  Tove  for  you  made  me  forget— that  I  am  a  southern 
girl." 

Her  answer  told  me  of  my  mistake,  but  I  was  despe- 
rately jealous,  and  sneered  :  "  That  remembrance  was,  I 
presume,  assisted  by  Major  Walton  !  " 

''  It  was  !  " 

"  Ah  !  " 

"  It  was  assisted  by  every  southern  man  I  saw  fighting 
for  his  country— Harry  Walton  among  the  rest,"  she 
returned,    haughtily.      Then,  faltcringly,  "  Lawrence,  I 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  37 

have  loved — God  knows  how  I've  loved — and  hoped  day 
by  day  to  win  you,  through  your  love  of  me,  to  our  cause 
and  our  side — that  my  country  would  be  your  country — 
but  now," — here  she  gasped  and  staggered  a  little,  and 
then,  as  if  filled  with  some  mighty  idea  that  gave  her 
courage,  she  drew  herself  up,  and  with  a  calmness,  per- 
haps of  despair,  uttered  :  "  But  now  you  will  not  become 
one  of  us  in  love  for  the  South — your  kindred  will  never 
be  my  kindred,  and  at  such  a  time  it  is  not  right  that  a 
southern  girl  should  wed  an  enemy  of  her  country  !  " 

"  You  would  not  say  such  words  if  you  had  ever  loved 
me!  "cried  I,  in  agony,  for  I  knew  my  sweetheart  was 
going  to  be  mine  no  more. 

"  Ever  loved  you  ?  "  she  faltered.  "  Ever  loved  you  ? 
What  passion  do  you  call  it  that  makes  a  girl  endure  the 
jeers  of  her  friends  and  scoffs  of  her  kindred  to  cling  to 
the  man  they  hate  and  despise  ?  Is  not  that  devotion  ? 
Is  not  that  true  love  ?  That  is  what  for  two  years  I  have 
given  to  you,  Lawrence  Bryant.  That  is  what  this  ring 
has  cost  me  !  "  And  as  she  said  this,  she  took  my  engage- 
ment ring  off  her  finger. 

"  My  God  !     You  are  going  to  leave  m.e  !  "  I  cried, 

"  Yes.  It  has  come  at  last,  Lawrence — at  last  !  This 
ring  is  mine  no  longer  !  "  and  she  held  it  out  to  me,  and 
I  trembled,  for  I  knew  that  Laura  Peyton,  the  girl  I  still 
loved,  was  my  sweetheart  no  more.  The  next  moment 
the  ring  dropped  from  her  faltering  hand  upon  the  grass, 
and  she  fell  fainting  into  Miss  Belle's  arms,  who  shrieked 
out  at  me  : 

*'  You've  broken  my  sister's  heart  !  I'll  make  you  fight 
on  one  side  or  the  other  for  this,  you  Yankee  !  "  And  the 
girl  shook  her  fist  at  me,  a  perfect  picture  of  rage. 

As  I  rode  away,  I  took  my  last  look  at  the  house  in 
which  I  left  so  many  pleasant  memories.  The  old  judge 
was  smoking  on  the  veranda  ;  the  oaks  were  as  green  and 
beautiful  as  ever,  but  the  love — the  love  of  the  girl  I 
loved — that  had  left  me,  and  the  place  looked  as  desolate 
as  the  war  had  made  my  heart. 


BOOK    II. 
How  I   Fled  from   Her. 


CHAPTER  V. 

A    CONFEDERATE    DETECTIVE. 


My  love  was  lost  to  me.  What  was  there  to  hold  me  to 
this  place,  an  alien,  surrounded  by  enemies  ?  I  deter- 
mined to  leave  South  Carolina.  I  remembered  Miss 
Belle's  threat.  If  I  was  to  fight  I  would  fight  for  the 
cause  that  I  loved.  I  resolved  to  go  north  through  the 
Confederate  lines — at  this  time  a  very  difficult  matter, 
though  four  routes  were  open  to  me.  One  was  to  get 
to  Wilmington,  or  some  other  port,  the  resort  of  blockade- 
runners,  and  so  to  Nassau  ;  another,  by  way  of  Suffolk 
and  Norfolk  to  the  Union  lines  in  Virginia  ;  a  third,  to 
go  to  the  coast  of  South  Carolina,  and  escape  by  boat  to 
some  Union  war  ship  off  the  coast  or  to  the  Federal 
troops  garrisoning  Hilton  Head ;  the  fourth  was  through 
western  North  Carolina  and  eastern  Tennessee.  This 
latter  was  very  hazardous,  as  there  were  a  great  many 
bushwhackers  and  guerillas  all  along  the  route.  The 
one  to  the  near  sea-coast  was  not  so  long,  but  was  well 
guarded  by  South  Carolinians,  who  were  so  entirely 
devoted  to  the  southern  cause,  that  I  could  find  no  Union 
sympathizers  to  help  me  on  my  way,  although  in  the  last 
few  months  I  had  known  of  men  escaping  by  this  route. 

After  careful  deliberation,  I  determined  to  go  by  way 
of  Suffolk  and  Norfolk,  as  my  connection  with  railroads 
would  give  me  passes  and  ticket  accommodations,  per- 
haps, where  other  people  could  not  get  them.  Beside 
this,  1  would  obtain  aid  from  a  secret  organization  of 
Union  men  in  North  Carolina. 


HOW    I    ESCAPED,  3g 

1  knew  I  had  no  time  to  lose,  and  made  my  arrange- 
ments hurriedly.  Once  only  did  I  hesitate  in  my  course, 
and  that  was  the  day  after  my  last  interview  with  Laura, 
at  "The  Oaks.''  I  was  walking  down  the  main  street 
of  Columbia,  busied  with  some  of  my  preparations  for 
departure  that  I  was  compelled  to  make  in  the  most 
guarded,  careful,  and  surreptitious  manner,  when  two 
young  ladies  passed  me  on  horseback.  A  glance  showed 
me  that  they  were  the  Misses  Peyton.  Miss  Belle  gave 
me  a  haughty,  unrecognizing  glance.  Laura  looked  at  me, 
seemingly  about  to  speak,  then  faltered,  and,  apparently 
urged  by  her  sister,  rode  on.  A  single  word  to  me,  from 
her,  I  believe,  even  at  that  moment,  would  have  held  me 
in  South  Carolina.  With  my  heart  in  my  eyes,  I  looked 
after  the  girl  I  loved  as  she  rode  away.  Twice  Laura 
seemed  to  hesitate  as  if  she  would  turn  back,  each  time 
opposed  by  her  sister.  Once  she  nearly  made  the  move- 
ment, but  Miss  Belle  seized  her  bridle  and  turned  her 
horse  once  more  away  from  me,  apparently  saying  a  few 
hurried  words  to  her.  As  she  did  so,  I  saw  Laura's  grace- 
ful form,  clad  in  its  gray,  homespun  habit,  sway  in  the 
saddle  ;  but  after  that  she  never  attempted  to  gaze  back 
or  turn  again.  I  staggered  away  to  my  office  and  there 
found  a  document  that  hurried  my  arrangements  for  de- 
parture. 

Had  I  known  it,  however,  I  would  have  found  that 
before  my  sweetheart  had  ridden  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
she  had,  despite  her  sister's  tears,  entreaties,  and  rage, 
deliberately  returned  along  the  street,  trying  in  vain  to 
find  me,  to  tell  me  the  words  for  which  I  longed. 

The  document  I  gazed  at  was  an  official  order  from  the 
general  commanding  the  district  to  report  for  active 
service  in  the  Confederate  army  at  Charleston  within 
seven  days. 

Accompanying  the  command  was  a  letter  from  my 
friend  Bee,  on  General  Beauregard's  staff,  which  ran  as 
follows  : 

"  Headquarters  Department  S.  C,  Ga.,  And  Fla.,  ) 
Charleston,  April  i,  1863.  \ 

"  My  Dear  Bryant  :  I  have  just  learned  the  news  that  you  are  to 
be  ordered  to  take  active  service  with  the  Confederacy.  As  to  the 
legality  of  this  order,  there  can,  of  course,  be  no  doubt,  you  having 
remained  two  years  within  our  borders  after  the  time  allowed  for  the 
departure  of  aliens.     You  have  probably  been  pennitted  to  remain  in 


40  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

your  position  as  engineer  of  the  South  Carolina  Railroad  because 
the  Confederacy  needed  your  services  as  such.  Now,  however, 
the  'powers  that  be'  have  decided  that  you  become  one  of  us.  I 
advise  you  to  make  no  opposition,  as  it  will  only  entail  trouble  and 
danger  upon  you.  Come  to  Charleston  quietly,  and  if  in  my  power, 
I  will  see  that  you  get  a  staff  appointment, — something  that  will  not 
compel  you  to  absolutely  use  your  arms  against  the  people  I  have  a 
strong  suspicion  you  regard  as  your  brothers.  A  word  to  the  wise  is 
sufficient,  as  I  know  everything  will  be  done  to  compel  your  com- 
plete compliance  with  the  order  that  has  been  sent  you, — your 
friend,  Mr.  Amos  Pierson,  having  taken  an  apparently  active  interest 
in  this  matter  and  an  army  contractor  being  at  present  a  power  in  the 
South.     Your  well-wisher, 

"Stuart  Bee." 

The  effect  of  this  was  simply  to  hasten  my  departure  from 
Columbia.  I  completed  my  preparations,  and  next  morn- 
ing, the  3(;1  day  of  April,  1863,  boarded  a  train  on  the 
Charleston,  Columbia  and  Augusta  Railroad  for  Graham, 
N.  C,  at  which  point  I  expected  to  meet  a  friend  who 
would  advise  me  as  to  the  best  way  to  reach  Suffolk. 

In  these  preparations  I  was  necessarily  compelled  to 
make  a  confidant  of  my  valet,  the  red-headed  Caucus. 
This  disclosure  I  made  after  pledging  him  to  secrecy  very 
privately  in  my  office  the  night  before  I  left.  Then 
Caucus  surprised  me. 

I  had  supposed  him  devoted,  body  and  soul,  to  his 
masters  in  the  South,  but  he  burst  out  :  ''  Oh,  'fore  de 
Lord,  Massa  Bryant,  if  I  could  get  north  wid  you  !  " 

"  Go  with  me  ?  " 

"  Yes.  I's  longin'  to  hear  de  Yankee  gunboats  fire,  dat 
means  freedom  for  dis  darky." 

"  Why,  I  had  supposed  that  you  loved  the  Peytons  too 
well  to  wish  ever  to  leave  their  service." 

"  Yas,  I  lub  de  Peytons  ;  dey  has  been  mighty  kind  to 
me  ;  but  I  lub  habin*  my  own  way,  and  doin'  nothin'  when 
I  choose  to  bettar.  Dar's  white  blood  in  me,  Massa 
Bryant ;  look  at  my  head  !  De  redness  of  it  means  dat  I's 
a  spirit  dat  '11  fight  for  bossin'  myself.  I's  named  Caucus 
cause  I's  Caucussion  !  " 

"  It  is  impossible  for  me  to  take  you  with  me.  I  could 
never  get  you  through  to  the  Union  lines." 

"  Don't  I  know  dat  ?  "  returned  Caucus.  "  Haven't  I 
thought  of  dat  !  Wouldn't  I  have  gone  myself  long  ago 
if  I  had  reckoned  I  could  fotch  dar  !  Why  is  you  goin', 
Massa  Dryant  ?    Why  you  not  want  de  Peytons  to  know  ? 


HOW    1    ESCAPED,  4I 

Has  de  young  missus  gwine  and  gib  you  de  shake? 
Always  reckon  she  vvah  powerful  gwine  on  you,  sah. 
Mighty  sorry  to  see  you  leab,  sah." 

Caucus  would  have  run  on  for  half  the  night  lamenting 
my  departure,  and  expressing  astonishment  and  wonder, 
had  not  I  cut  him  short  by  handing  him  a  letter  to  the 
railroad  company  resigning  my  office  in  their  employ,  and 
charging  him  as  he  loved  my  personal  safety  not  to  deUvei 
it  to  the  corporation  until  one  week  from  the  time  of  my 
departure. 

I  then  spent  the  remainder  of  the  night  completing  my 
preparations.  I  had  gradually,  during  the  last  few  months, 
exchanged  all  the  Confederate  money  I  had  for  U.  S. 
greenbacks,  trading  these  little  by  little,  as  time  and  oc- 
casion permitted,  with  the  Federal  prisoners  in  Columbia. 
As  Confederate  money  had  greatly  depreciated,  and  I  had 
now  over  one  thousand  dollars  in  greenbacks,  I  took 
five  hundred  of  this  sum,  considering  that  it  would  be 
sufficient  to  carry  me  north.  The  rest  I  inclosed  in  a 
short  note  to  Laura,  telling  her  that  I  knew  from  the 
certain  poverty  coming  to  all  in  South  Carolina  that  some 
day  or  other  this  money  would  be  of  service  to  her,  beg- 
ging her  to  accept  it  as  a  loan  from  one  who  would  never 
cease  to  wish  to  be  her  friend,  and  who  would  never  for- 
get that  she  was  the  only  woman  he  had  loved — who  still 
thought  her  to  be  the  only  woman  he  would  ever  love. 
This  missive  I  charged  young  Caucus  to  give  to  Miss 
Peyton  on  the  same  day  he  delivered  my  resignation  to 
the  railroad  company,  and  for  no  cause  whatsoever  to 
deliver  either  of  the  messages  before  the  time  I  had  in- 
structed him. 

When  I  set  out  on  my  journey  I  had  with  me  a 
Colt's  revolver  and  cartridges,  my  money,  the  best  suit 
of  clothes  I  possessed,  and  a  few  cherished  mementoes 
of  the  girl  I  still  loved  but  left  behind  me.  I  had  already 
sent  a  message  to  a  friend  of  mine  in  North  Carolina 
who  was  a  Union  man  ;  besides  this  the  bond  of  masonic 
fellowship  being  also  between  us,  I  knew  that  he  would 
never  betray  me. 

I  had  no  sooner  boarded  the  cars  than  a  great  difficulty 
confronted  me.  My  long  connection  with  a  leading 
southern  railway  made  me  known  to  nearly  all  brakemen, 
conductors,  and  engineers  upon  the  different  roads  over 


42  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

• 

which  I  traveled,  and  consequently  forbade  any  attempt 
at  traveling  under  an  assumed  name  unless  1  could 
thoroughly  disguise  myself.  To  all  inquiries  as  to  my 
destination  I  replied  that  I  was  going  on  railroad  busi- 
r,  ess  to  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  Tliere  were  several 
Confederate  officers  on  the  train,  traveling  to  join  their 
various  commands,  who  seemed  to  look  with  suspicion 
upon  any  one  dressed  in  citizen's  clothes,  but  after  seeing 
me  recognized  by  the  conductor  as  one  of  the  officers  of 
the  South  Carolina  Railroad,  their  suspicions  were  lulled. 
The  same  effect  was  also  produced  upon  two  or  three 
army  detectives  that  were  upon  the  train  looking  out  for 
deserters  and  stragglers  from  the  Confederate  ranks. 

Travel  at  that  time  in  the  South  was  by  no  means 
pleasant,  as  the  railroads  were  gradually  getting  into  a 
very  dilapidated  and  unsafe  condition  from  the  inability 
of  their  authorities  to  provide  them  with  either  new  iron 
or  rolling  stock, —  nearly  all  the  iron  in  the  Confederacy 
being  seized  by  the  Confederate  Government  for  the 
manufacture  of  cannon  and  other  war  material. 

I  determined  that  the  railroad  business  that  carried  me 
away  from  Columbia  should  be  the  pursuit  of  some  new 
rails  for  the  South  Carolina  Railroad. 

This  point  decided,  I  sat  down  in  the  car  and  rumi- 
nated in  that  kind  of  stunned  daze  that  comes  upon  every 
man  after  one  of  those  great  earthquakes  of  life  that 
tear  up  and  destroy  the  desires,  aims,  and  social  topog- 
raphy of  existence.  I  was  flying  from  the  woman  who 
had  been  for  three  years  the  one  object  of  my  thoughts 
by  day,  my  dreams  by  night  ;  not  because  I  did  not  love 
her,  but  because  1  feared  that  if  I  stayed  within  reach  of 
her,  she  would  allure  me  to  the  cause  I  hated,  and  make 
me,  like  herself,  ready  to  fight  the  people  whom  I  loved. 

At  this  moment  I  presume  I  must  have  given  a  sigh  or 
groan,  or  something  of  the  kind,  for  a  peculiar,  twangy, 
nasal  North  Carolina  voice  broke  in  on  my  reverie,  say- 
ing :  *'  You  don't  look  'ticular  spunky  this  morning,  Mr. 
Bryant.  Can't  you  move  your  head  a  little  so  I  can  git  a 
square  spit  through  the  keer  window  ?  " 

I  moved  my  head,  and  recognized  Pete  Bassett,  a 
government  detective,  who  had  been  about  our  railroad 
yards  for  the  last  few  we^.ks  looking  after  the  Federal 
prisoners  of   war  that  were  at  this  time  arriving  in  large 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  43 

numbers  from  the  North  for  confinement  in  the  stockade 
near  the  town. 

Mr.  Bassett  seemed  inclined  to  be  chatty.  Unheeding 
my  apparent  disincHnation  for  conversation,  he  insisted 
on  telling  me  of  the  various  escaped  Federal  prisoners  he 
had  assisted  in  recapturing,  punctuating  his  anecdotes 
by  squirts  of  tobacco  juice  that  he  delivered  with  the 
precision  of  a  marksman  at  the  telegraph  poles  that  we 
ran  past. 

He  invited  me  to  drink  at  every  station.  Do  what  I 
could  he  seemed  to  be  at  my  elbow.  His  very  cordiality 
seemed  to  me  suspicious.  I  became  convinced  that  foi 
some  reason  or  other  his  gray  eyes,  reddened  by  bad 
whisky,  were  always  on  me,  and  that  he  had  a  particular 
interest  in  my  movements.     I  determined  to  test  this. 

At  the  next  stopping  place  I  knew  that  the  train  ran 
up  the  track  to  a  water  tank  and  then  returned  to  the  sta- 
tion before  proceeding  on  its  way. 

I  jumped  off  the  cars  as  we  ran  slowly  past  the  place, 
and  to  my  disgust  Bassett  sprang  off  also. 

"  What  did  you  bolt  the  train  for,  Mr.  Bryant  ? "  he 
asked. 

"  Why,  to  stretch  my  legs,"  I  replied.  "  It's  only  going 
for  water  and  '11  be  back  in  five  minutes.  What  made 
you  jump  it  also  ? " 

"  Wall — for — for  about  the  same  objict,"  he  muttered. 
"  You  see  I  reckoned  you  knew  the  customs  of  your  road, 
and  wouldn't  be  after  being  left  yourself.  I  calculated 
your  lead  was  a  good  one  to  follow. — Have  another  pull 
at  my  corn  juice  ?  " 

"  No,  thank  you  I  "  remarked  I. 

A  few  moments  afterward  the  tram  returned,  but  I 
boarded  it  with  a  sinking  heart.  I  knew  Pete  Bassett,  one 
of  the  coolest  sleuth-hounds  in  the  Confederacy,  was 
on  my  trail — that  my  attempt  to  gain  the  Union  lines 
was  being  shadowed. 

After  running  off  the  track  once,  and  being  detained 
several  hours,  we  arrived  at  Charlotte,  where  I  had  to  wait 
two  hours  before  resuming  my  journey. 

In  this  place  I  expected  to  meet  no  one  to  help  me  ; 
but  at  Graham  I  anticipated  seeing  my  Union  friend. 

I  therefore  acted  in  such  a  manner  at  Charlotte,  as 
would  throw  Bassett  off  his  guard  at  Graham. 


44  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

Immediately  on  my  arriving  in  Charlotte  I  went  about 
looking  apparently  for  a  friend  at  the  depot,  though  I 
expected  to  meet  no  one.  I  then  wandered  about  the 
town,  up  one  street  and  down  another,  all  the  time  con- 
scious that  I  was  dogged  by  Mr.  Bassett.  After  doing 
this  apparently  without  an  object,  which  was  exactly 
what  I  would  in  Graham  a  few  hours  after  with  an  ob- 
ject, I  returned  to  the  hotel,  casually  met  my  pursuer, 
and  asked  him  to  drink  with  me,  saying  I'd  been  kill- 
ing time  looking  about  the  town,  but  had  not  seen  a  soul 
I  knew,  all  the  men  being  at  the  war,  and  I  not  much 
of  a  hand  at  making  friends  with  ladies. 

I  then  boarded  the  train,  Mr.  Bassett  accompanying 
me,  and  reached  Graham  at  three  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon. 

Here,  telling  Bassett  I  would  lay  over  for  the  night, 
being  tired  of  the  continual  jolting  of  the  train  on  the 
bad  track,  I  wandered  about  the  railroad  depot.  Good- 
shaw,  the  Union  friend  of  mine,  was  there  to  meet  me, 
but  I  passed  him  with  an  unknowing  glance  and  a  mut- 
tered "  To-night." 

He  in  these  suspicious  times  being  of  quick  wit,  said 
nothing,  but  boarded  the  train  as  if  looking  for  the  ar- 
rival of  some  one  else. 

I  was  sure  Bassett  suspected  nothing,  and  my  wander- 
ing about  Charlotte  had  made  him  careless  in  his  watch 
on  me. 

After  a  little  time  in  the  depot,  I  went  to  the  hotel,  de- 
posited my  carpet-bag  there,  took  an  apparently  aimless 
walk  about  the  village,  as  I  had  done  in  Charlotte,  taking 
care  to  pass  the  house  of  George  Goodshaw,  and  note 
that  the  window  blinds  were  tied  with  red,  white  and 
blue  cords — a  signal  among  the  Union  men  of  that  part 
of  North  Carolina  that  the  house  could  be  visited  in 
safety. 

Satisfied  in  this,  I  continued  my  ramble,  finally  reach- 
ing the  hotel,  taking  supper  with  Mr.  Bassett,  and  after- 
ward playing  euchre  with  him  for  the  drinks.  Losing 
most  of  the  games,  I  got  disgusted  at  my  hard  luck  and 
went  to  bed,  Bassett  doing  the  same. 

Half  an  hour  afterward  I  sneaked  from  my  room  in  the 
hotel.  As  I  opened  the  door  I  heard  a  noise  like  the 
banging  of  a  boot  a  little  farther  akmgthe  passage  way  in 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  45 

the  chamber  I  knew  to  be  occupied  by  Bassett,  and  on 
looking,  by  the  dim  light  of  the  hall,  found  a  string  run- 
ning from  the  knob  of  my  door  in  that  direction.  In  a 
flash  I  knew  the  detective  was  on  the  alert.  I  ran  down 
the  stairs  as  quietly  but  as  rapidly  as  possible,  and  in  a 
moment  was  in  the  open  air.  I  could  hear  Bassett's  feet 
on  the  stairs  in  pursuit.  As  I  did  so,  the  whistle  of  an 
incoming  train  sounded  in  the  still  night  air,  I  knew  the 
time-table  of  the  road.  It  was  the  night  express  bound 
north. 

As  if  by  instinct  I  turned  and  ran  toward  the  depot, 
and  as  I  ran  I  thought  Bassett's  steps  sounded  but 
fifty  yards  behind  mine.  I  would  make  him  think  I  took 
that  train  ;  if  he  boarded  it.  I  should  then  be  free  to  con- 
sult with  my  friend  unmolested.  I  gained  the  depot,  and 
took  care  that  he  saw  me  enter  it,  then  jumped  on 
the  platform  of  one  of  the  cars,  passed  through  it,  de- 
scended leisurely  on  the  other  side,  and  strolled  into  the 
darkness.  I  remained  in  the  gloom  of  an  old  woodshed, 
and  could  discern  by  the  dim  light  of  the  station  Bassett 
searching  for  me  on  the  train.  The  whistle  blew,  the 
wheels  revolved,  and  the  detective,  sure  that  I  was 
on  it,  rolled  off  northward  to  Raleigh.  I  was  alone  in 
Graham. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE    PROVOST    MARSHAL. 

A  FEW  minutes  afterward  I  found  myself  at  Good- 
shaw's  grasping  his  hospitable  hand.  His  cheery  voice 
said  :  "  Well,  getting  out  of  the  woods  at  last,  Jkyant  ? 
I  would  do  the  same,  but  I  have  a  family,  and  that  ties 
me  here." 

We  consulted  eagerly  as  to  the,  best  routes  to  take 
for  my  escape.  The  eastern  portion  of  the  State  was 
considered  dangerous  on  account  of  guerilla  warfare. 
I  might  make  my  way  either  by  the  Cape  Fear  or  Neuse 
river  in  a  boat,  to  the  Federal  war-ships.  Some  had 
escaped  that  way  guided  by  negroes  in  the  night  from  one 
point  of  the  river  to  another,  the  blacks  always  proving 
entirely  reliable  guides,  and  no  instance  being  known  of 


46  HOW    1    ESCAPED. 

their  ever  having  betrayed  any  Union  men  who  had  trusted 
in  them.  But  to  this  route  there  was  a  serious  objection 
because  the  terminal  points  were  too  far  from  the  Federal 
lines.  If  I  reached  Newberne  by  the  coast  I  would  then 
have  to  travel  north  through  dismal  swamps,  before 
reaching  the  Federal  gunboats,  and  the  people  about  this 
portion  of  the  country  were  so  entirely  in  sympathy  with 
the  Confederate  cause,  that  from  them  I  could  expect  no 
aid. 

Upon  hearing  of  the  difficulties  attending  a  journey 
upon  these  routes,  I  determined  to  attempt  to  make  my 
way  out  of  the  Confederate  lines  by  Suffolk  and  Norfolk, 
going  via  Weldon  on  the  Seaboard  and  Roanoke  Rail- 
road. Then  I  explained  to  Goodshaw  the  pursuit  of 
Bassett.  He  looked  very  serious  at  this,  but  said  :  "  The 
detective  is  one  train  ahead  of  you.  Let  us  hope  that 
he  will  go  beyond  the  point  at  which  you  must  leave  the 
railroad." 

Next  morning,  as  I  paid  my  hotel  bill,  the  proprietor 
asked  me  if  I  knew  the  name  of  the  thief  who  had  run 
away  in  the  night  without  paying  his  bill. 

The  train  soon  took  me  to  Raleigh,  where  I  received 
further  assistance  from  another  friend.  Fortunately  this 
gentleman  was  on  very  good  terms  with  the  provost  mar- 
shal at  Raleigh,  and  introduced  me  to  him,  and  he,  recog- 
nizing me  as  one  of  the  officers  of  the  South  Carolina 
Railway,  kindly  gave  me  a  pass  to  Richmond,  I  telling 
him  I  was  going  there  to  attempt  to  induce  the  Confed- 
erate Government  to  permit  us  to  have  some  new  rails,  in 
order  to  repair  our  road,  which  was  now  in  quite  an  unser- 
viceable condition. 

As  this  was  almost  a  military  duty  for  the  service  of 
the  Confederacy,  I  not  only  got  a  passport,  but  was  invited 
by  the  provost  marshal  to  dinner. 

As  every  day  added  to  the  danger  of  my  being'  sus- 
pected and  arrested,  because  the  moment  I  did  not  report 
at  Charleston  according  to  orders  from  the  Confeder- 
ate Government,  I  would  be  considered  as  a  deserter,  I 
declined  the  provost  marshal's  dinner,  and  arrived  at 
Goldsboro  next  morning,  Monday.  This  place  was  under 
strict  martial  law. 

I  found  out  that  a  man  in  citizen's  costume  was  a  very 
rare  sight,  in  this  part  of  the  Confederacy,  and  that  he  was 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  47 

always  regarded  with  more  or  less  suspicion.  Many  offi- 
cers would  immediately  demand  his  passport.  Fortu- 
nately mine  was  of  the  right  kind. 

Here,  while  in  the  depot  preparatory  to  taking  the  train 
for  Weldon,  two  curious  incidents  took  place  that  changed 
the  whole  form  of  my  attempt  to  escape. 

I  had  hardly  been  in  the  depot  a  moment  before,  to 
my  dismay,  I  met  my  friend  Mr.  Bassett. 

He  gave  me  a  very  surly  scowl  and  growled,  "  I  was 
coming  back  looking  for  you.  That  was  a  mighty  mean 
trick  you  played  on  me  at  Graham  t'other  night.  I 
have  been  'way  up  to  Weldon,  reckoning  you  was  on  the 
keers  with  me." 

"  Trick  ?  "  replied  I.  "  What  trick  ?  I  should  rather 
think  it  was  a  trick  that  you  played  on  the  hotel-keeper, 
running  off  in  the  middle  of  the  night  and  not  paying 
your  board  bill.     He  is  looking  for  you,  also." 

"  That  kind  of  talk  won't  do,"  said  Bassett,  savagely. 
"  I  have  got  instructions  to  look  out  for  you,  and  I  have 
a  mind  to  arrest  you  at  once  !  " 

The  only  way  with  this  man  was  to  dominate  and  crush 
him. 

My  passport  made  me  bold.  I  said  :  "  Arrest  me  if 
you  dare  !  You  will  soon  find  yourself  in  jail  if  you  try 
it.     Have  you  got  a  warrant  ?  " 

"  No,"  he  said,  "but  I  have  got  instrtcctions !'' 

"  Very  well,"  replied  I.  "  You  disturb  me  in  my  busi- 
ness, and  I  will  have  you  pulled  over  the  coals  at  Rich- 
mond in  a  way  that  will  astonish  you.  Look  at  this  pass- 
port !  " 

I  poked  in  his  face  the  one  issued  by  the  provost 
marshal  at  Raleigh.  The  sight  of  it  made  him  gasp  with 
astonishment. 

"  Do  you  see  this  ?  "  said  I.  "  This  is  a  permit  to  go 
to  Richmond  on  military  business  of  importance  to  the 
Confederate  Go^'ernment !  You  dare  to  disturb  me,  and  I 
don't  know  what  a  court-martial  will  do  with  you  !  " 

"  No,"  he  muttered,  "  I  would  not  dare  lay  a  hand  on 
the  man  with  that  passport,"  for  this  "  business  of  import- 
ance to  the  Confederate  Government "  cowed  and  aston- 
ished him.  "  But  all  the  same,"  said  he,  "  I  will  go  to 
Richmond  with  you  to  see  that  you  execute  it  !  Busi- 
ness of  importance  to  the  Confederate    Government  ? " 


48  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

muttered  he,  moving  away.  "  Don't  forgit,  I'll  be  on  the 
train  with  you,  Mr.  Bryant,  but  as  she  won't  roll  out  for 
about  fifteen  minutes,  I'll  fill  my  bottle  with  corn  juice 
for  the  journey."  With  that  Bassett  walked  off  through 
the  depot,  about  as  completely  crushed  a  detective  as  I 
ever  saw. 

I  was  meditating  upon  Mr.  Bassett's  kindness  about 
going  to  Richmond  with  me,  to  be  sure  that  I  executed 
that  "  business  of  importance  to  the  Confederate  Gov- 
ernment," when  the  telegraph  clerk  hurriedly  cried  out 
very  excitedly  to  the  people  in  the  depot  :  "  Great  news 
from  Longstreet !  He  has  driven  the  Yanks  back  on 
Norfolk  !  " 

The  remarks  I  heard  from  the  people  about  me  con- 
vinced me  that  I  would  have  little  chance  of  escaping 
from  Suffolk  county  into  the  Federal  lines.  Longstreet 
had  so  advanced  his  lines  by  driving  the  Union  troops 
back,  that  my  journey  would  be  considerably  lengthened 
and  its  dangers  and  difficulties  materially  heightened. 
With  Mr.  Bassett  waiting  to  board  the  same  train  I  did, 
I  felt  that,  should  I  leave  the  cars  at  Weldon,  as  I 
intended,  he  would  follow  me.  Under  these  circum- 
stances, without  a  passport  through  Longstreet's  lines, 
my  escape  would  be  impossible. 

As  I  meditated,  a  special  train  bound  south  ran  sud- 
denly into  the  station.  At  all  events,  I  must  put  Mr. 
Bassett  off  my  track.  The  train  for  the  south  attracted 
my  attention.  Bassett,  I  knew,  had  made  up  his  mind  I 
was  going  north.  A  sudden  thought,  almost  an  inspira- 
tion, flashed  through  my  brain.  The  conductor  of  the 
train  for  the  south  cried  "  All  aboard  !  " 

Its  wheels  commenced  to  re  olve,  I  hurriedly  crossed 
the  platform,  and  mounted  the  last  of  its  moving  cars. 
We  ran  out  of  the  station.  I  felt  certain  I  had  accom- 
plished my  object.  The  detective  was  left  behind 
me.  With  a  sigh  of  relief  I  passed  into  one  of  the  cars, 
which  was  poorly  furnished,  worn  out  and  dilapidated,  as 
were  all  railroad  cars  in  the  Confederacy  at  that  time. 
There  was  a  heterogeneous  mass  of  people  in  this  car, 
among  them  three  or  four  red-faced  men  who  were  talk- 
ing loudly,  and  smoking  such  cigars  as  I  had  not  seen  for 
years— evidently  genuine  Havanas. 

They  were  apparently  seafaring  men.     I  listened  to 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  49 

their  conversation,  and  discovered  that  they  were  captains 
of  blockade-runners  whose  vessels  were  at  Wilmington, 
and  who  had  run  up  to  Richmond  on  a  pleasure  trip  while 
their  ships  were  discharging  their  cargoes  and  taking 
in  cotton.  One  of  them,  a  burly,  jovial,  good-natured 
Briton,  called  by  his  companions  Captain  Samson,  was 
telling  some  anecdotes  connected  with  his  profession  that 
moved  his  listeners  to  shrieks  of  laughter.  Even  with 
the  excitement  and  peculiar  difficulties  of  my  situation 
about  me,  one  of  them  has  to  this  day  impressed  itself 
upon  my  mind. 

"  You  see,"  remarked  Samson,  "  the  Yankee  govern- 
ment had  to  get  so  many  new  officers  and  sailors  into  its 
service  to  keep  up  this  blockade  that  is  making  our  fort- 
unes, that  a  number  of  old  merchant  captains  received 
appointments  as  lieutenants  and  masters  in  the  regular 
United  States  Navy, — among  them  an  absent-minded 
New  England  skipper  named  Eph  Starbuck,  who  had 
been  the  last  twenty  years  captain  of  the  Mary  Jane, 
a  Boston  coastc  that  ran  regularly  to  Charleston,  South 
Carolina.  He  was  placed  as  lieutenant  on  board  a  gun- 
boat bound  to  that  port  because  he  was  supposed  to  know 
every  channel  and  outlet  from  Charleston  as  well  as  a 
local  pilot. 

"Well,  one  night  he  was  officer  of  the  watch  on  his 
little  gun-boat  looking  out  for  blockade-runners,  when 
suddenly  he  heard  a  hail  from  another  Federal  cruiser — 
'  Ship  ahoy  !  ' 

"  '  Ahoy,  there  !  '  answered  Starbuck. 

"  '  What  ship  is  that  ? ' 

"  '  Mary  Jane  for  Charleston,  with  general  merchan- 
dise ! '  growled  Starbuck  from  force  of  habit. 

"  The  next  minute  his  gun-boat  was  boarded  and  cap- 
tured by  the  Federal  cruiser,  who  of  course  thought  she 
was  a  blockade-runner  !  It  is  rumored  that  Starbuck  who 
was  half  asleep  at  the  time  had  forgotten  all  about  the 
war,  and  as  his  Federal  friends  boarded  him,  yelled  out, 
'  Pirates  ! '  " 

A  moment  after,  the  entrance  of  the  conductor  stopped 
my  laughter,  and  forced  my  mind  to  m.y  own  situation.  I 
did  not  know  even  where  the  train  was  bound — 1  must 
find  that  out  immediately,  I  was  going  away  from  Rich- 
mond; consequently  my  passport  was  now  useless. 
4 


5©  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

"  You  are  bound  for  your  vessel,  I  suppose,"  I  said, 
touching  the  arm  of  the  red-faced  Briton. 

*'Yes,  sir,  to  Wilmington.  We  go  down  the  river  to- 
day." Then  I  knew  the  train  must  be  for  Wilmington. 
The  conductor  was  rapidly  approaching  me.  I  knew  that 
in  the  absence  of  a  ticket  which  I  had  failed  to  purchase, 
he  would  demand  a  passport.  I  had  none  and  I  felt 
that  I  could  not  obtain  one. 

As  he  approached  me,  with  an  effrontery  born  of  the 
desperate  nature  of  my  situation  I  said  :  "  Conductor, 
can  you  give  me  the  directions  to  the  provost  marshal's 
office  at  Wilmington  ?  " 

*'Certamly,"  he  replied  giving  me  the  address. 

''  Thank  you,"  said  I.  "  Can't  you  go  with  me  and  show 
me  the  place  when  the  train  gets  there,  as  I  have  never 
been  in  the  city  before  ?  " 

"  Of  course  I  can,"  said  the  conductor.  "Your  pass- 
port?" 

"  I  haven't  got  any.  You  can  go  with  me  to  the  provost 
marshal's  office.  1  left  hurriedly  on  immediate  business. 
I  have  to  go  to  Nassau  to  obtain  iron  for  the  railroad  of 
which  I  am  engineer.     Here  is  my  card." 

"  Ah,  Mr.  Bryant,  I  know  you  very  well  by  reputa- 
tion," replied  the  conductor,  "  and  I  believe  I  have 
passed  over  your  line  under  a  pass  signed  by  you." 

I  tendered  him  my  fare. 

"Oh,  no.     Not  from  a  railroad  man  in  your  position." 

I  remarked  that  I  had  not  had  time  to  obtain  a  pass- 
port, as  it  was  necessary  for  us  to  have  the  iron  at  once. 

"  Yes,  the  rails  are  in  bad  condition.  I  wish  you  could 
buy  some  for  our  road  while  you  are  getting  your  own. 
Gracious  !  that  was  a  thundering  jolt  !  "  remarked  the 
conductor  as  we  rolled  over  a  dilapidated  rail. 

This  official's  apparent  knowledge  of  me  seemed  to  dis- 
pel any  suspicion  which  my  civilian  dress  had  caused 
among  the  passengers  of  the  train. 

I  entered  into  conversation  with  the  captains  of  the 
blockade-runners,  and  soon  obtained  all  the  information 
that  I  wished  with  regard  to  taking  passage  for  Nassau. 

"You  had  better  come  on  my  boat,  the  Dart,"  said 
Samson.  "  We  leave  to-day  at  two.  I  have  made  three 
successful  in-and-out  trips  already,  so  you  are  pretty  cer- 
tain of  not  being  captured." 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  5I 

**  No,"  I  replied,  "  I  shall  hardly  be  able  to  leave  im- 
mediately." 

But  at  that  very  moment  my  mind  was  made  up, 
whether  he  knew  it  or  not,  to  be  a  passenger  on  Cap- 
tain Samson's  steamer.  The  details  I  received  with  re- 
gard to  passengers  upon  a  blockade-runner  were  all  very 
satisfactory,  except  this  one,  which  made  a  great  imj^-es- 
sion  on  me  at  the  time,  and  a  much  stronger  one  soon 
afterward.  Each  vessel,  before  she  was  permitted  to  go 
down  the  river,  was  smoked  and  poled  for  stowaways 
fleeing  from  Confederate  jurisdiction  or  military  service. 
This  operation  was  explained  to  me  at  length,  and  was  as 
follows :  The  blockade-runners  being  invariably  loaded 
with  cotton,  stowaways  were  compelled  to  conceal  them- 
selves among  the  bales.  To  prevent  this,  all  interstices 
between  the  bales  upon  the  upper  deck  were  thoroughly 
explored  by  long,  sharp  poles,  so  that  if  the  fugitive  had 
any  feelings  whatever  his  cries  generally  made  his  pres- 
ence known  to  the  Confederate  soldiers  ;  but  as  the  pol- 
ing was  not  always  as  successful  in  the  hold  of  the  ves- 
sel, after  the  cotton  had  been  probed  as  well  as  it  was 
possible  to  do  it,  the  hatches  of  the  boat  were  shut  down 
and  the  hold  was  thoroughly  fumigated  by  dense  smoke 
from  burning  rosin,  which,  as  the  captain  remarked,  if  it 
didn't  bring  out  the  skulker,  generally  killed  him. 

"  I  brought  two  corpses  into  Nassau  last  time,"  re- 
marked the  skipper,  sententiously,  with  a  jovial,  kind- 
hearted  laugh  that  sent  a  shudder  through  me. 

The  distance  between  Goldsboro  and  Wilmington  by 
rail  in  those  days  was  about  seventy  miles  ;  but  such 
was  the  wretched  state  of  the  road-bed  that  our  train 
took  nearly  five  hours  to  make  the  run.  In  fact,  a 
hand-car  could  have  almost  made  the  trip  in  the  same 
time.     I  had  ample  evidence  of  the  fact  a  little  later. 

Arrived  in  Wilmington,  I  stepped  off  the  cars  before 
they  had  ceased  their  motion,  and  sneltering  myself  behind 
one  of  the  numerous  cotton  bales  piled  up  by  the  side  of 
the  railroad  track,  scanned  the  faces  of  the  passengers  as 
they  descended  from  the  train.  After  close  scrutiny  I 
gave  0.  sigh  of  relief.  I  was  now  entirely  sure  that  Bas- 
sett  was  separated  from  me  for  the  present. 

I  had  determined  upon  a  plan  while  on  my  journey  to 
Wilmington.     I  got  hold  of  the  conductor  and  he  took 


52  HOW    1    ESCAPED. 

me  to  the  provost  marshal's  office.  I  asked  to  see  the 
officer  in  command,  and  after  a  few  moments  was  shown 
in  to  that  gentleman.  I  found  him  to  be  a  pale,  sallow 
captain  of  Louisiana  volunteers,  with  piercing  black 
eyes,  a  jet  black  moustache  and  a  rather  comical,  but 
decidedly  sharp  smile.  He  had  lost  a  leg  at  Malvern 
Hilly  was  dressed  in  fatigue  Confederate  uniform  and 
was  smoking  an  excellent  Havana  cigar  which  had  been 
presented  to  him  by  some  of  his  friends,  the  captains  of 
blockade-runners,  who  found  it  well  to  be  on  good  terms 
with  the  provost  marshal  of  the  port  to  which  their  ves- 
sels ran.  He  answered  to  the  name  of  Captain  Du- 
quesne,  and  his  smile  might  be  said  to  be  at  high  tide 
when  I  came  in.  He  was  hurriedly  giving  directions  to 
a  sergeant  in  attendance  as  to  the  disposal  of  three 
or  four  refugees  that  had  been  discovered  on  board  a 
blockade-runner  that  day  by  the  unpleasant  yet  effect- 
ive process  called  "  probing  and  smoking." 

This  was  by  no  means  reassuring  to  me,  but  I  opened 
my  business  with  as  off-hand  and  take-it-for-granted  a 
manner  as  possible. 

"I  have  come,"  said  I,  "  as  chief  engineer  of  the 
South  Carolina  Railway  to  obtain  from  you  a  pass  to 
leave  the  Confederacy  and  visit  Nassau  upon  a  blockade- 
runner  in  order  to  make  a  contract  with  English  capital- 
ists to  furnish  railroad  iron  for  the  road  of  which  1  am 
an  officer." 

"  Your  name  ?  "  asked  the  captain. 

I  presented  my  card,  fortunately  having  one  or  two 
yet  in  my  possession. 

"Ah,  Mr.  Bryant,"  he  said  smiling,  ''permit  me  to  in- 
troduce myself.  Captain  Duquesne,  tenth  Louisiana  Vol- 
unteers, C.  S.  A.,  Acting  Provost  Marshal,  Wilmington, 
N.  C,  and  to  present  you  with  a  cigar," 

I  accepted  the  cigar,  and,  ye  gods  !  how  I  enjoyed  it  ! — 
the  first  genuine  Havana  I  had  smoked  for  over  two 
years. 

''You  have  a  pass,  T  presume,  Mr.  Bryant?''  said  the 
captain  between  the  whiffs  of  his-Cabafia. 

I  bowed  and  presented  mine. 

"  Ah,"  he  remarked,  looking  rather  suspicious  ;  -'  this 
is  to  Richmond,  not  Wilmington." 

''I  was  on  my  way  to   Richmond,"   I  replied,   ''but 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  53 

found  when  I  reached  Goldsboro  that  it  would  be  im- 
possible to  obtain  railroad  iron  in  Richmond,  as  the  Con- 
federate authorities  need  every  scrap  in  their  possession 
for  war  purposes.  Consequently  I  took  the  other  and 
only  plan.  The  railroad  I  represent  has  been  of  the 
greatest  use  to  the  Confederacy  in  forwarding  supplies, 
war  material,  and  men  for  the  government  at  Richmond. 
You  know  that  !  " 

"  Certainly  !  " 

"  It  has  not  had  a  new  rail  laid  down  upon  it  for  over 
two  years.  If  new  iron  is  not  placed  upon  some  portions 
of  its  road-bed  it  will  be  unable  to  perform  the  work  your 
government  requires  of  it.  It  is  absolutely  necessary 
that  we  should  have  at  least  three  thousand  tons  of  new 
rails  almost  immediately.  The  only  hope  I  have  of  ob- 
taining them  is  by  buying  them  in  England,  and  for  that 
purpose  it  is  necessary  for  me,  in  order  to  get  them 
quickly,  to  proceed  at  once  to  Nassau." 

"  How  will  you  buy  them  in  England  ?  "  asked  the 
captain, 

"  The  road  I  represent  has  accumulated  a  large  amount 
of  cotton  for  that  purpose,  which  it  will  ship  out  of  the 
Confederacy  by  blockade-runners  to  pay  for  the  iron  for- 
warded to  us  from  England." 

''  Ah  !  "  said  the  captain,  a  smile  illuminating  his  coun- 
tenance as  he  did  a  little  rapid  figuring  upon  a  piece  of 
coarse  brown  paper  in  front  of  him,  "  iron  rails  would  be 
worth — about  fifty  cents  per  pound  laid  down  in  Wil- 
mington by  blockade-runners,  three  thousand  tons  would 
cost  one  million  five  hundred  thousand  dollars.  For  this 
you  would  have  to  pay  in  cotton,  worth  on  the  wharves 
at  Wilmington  five  cents  per  pound,  which  would  be 
about  thirty  million  pounds — sixty  thousand  bales.  What 
a  cursed  lot  of  cotton  your  railroad  must  have,  and  what 
an  awful  lot  of  blockade-runners  it  will  require  to  carry 
it  out  !  " 

"  We  haven't  quite  that  much  on  hand,"  replied  I,  "  but 
will  have  it  by  the  time  it  is  necessary  to  make  deliveries. 
I  shall  contract,  however,  for  such  iron  as  we  can  pay  for. 
Even  one  thousand  tons  of  new  rails  would  be  of  some 
advantage  to  us." 

"  Certainly,  but  not  a  great  deal,  for  so  long  a  track  as 
yours,  judging  by  the  state  of  the  road-beds  about  here. 


54  HOW    I    ESCAPED.      , 

You  see,  my  dear  Mr.  Bryant,  I  was  educated  at  West 
Point,  and  graduated  into  the  engineers."  Here  he  gave 
me  another  smile. 

I  cursed  my  luck  at  having  run  against  an  engineer 
officer  as  provost  marshal. 

"  You  won't  grant  me  the  pass  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  I  will  telegraph  to  the  authorities  at  Columbia,  and 
if  your  journey  is  approved,  will  issue  the  pass  to-mor- 
row. Take  another  cigar,  and  enjoy  Wilmington,"  and 
Duquesne  bowed  me  out  of  his  office.  Without  waiting  to 
argue  further  upon  the  matter,  I  immediately  left,  know- 
ing I  was  doomed  the  minute  a  telegraphic  reply  from 
Columbia  reached  the  provost  marshal.  My  heart  felt  as 
heavy  as  if  the  irons  were  even  now  upon  my  wrists.  At 
the  most  I  had  but  three  or  four  hours'  liberty. 

I  wandered  about  in  an  aimless  way,  hardly  knowing 
where  I  went.  By  some  fatality  I  found  myself  at  the 
railroad  depot  gazing  in  a  dreamy  manner  at  the  freight 
trains,  that  were  bringing  in  load  after  load  of  cotton.  I 
had  done  this  but  a  few  moments,  when  I  gave  a  start ; 
my  mind,  roused  by  an  electric  shock,  resumed  its  func- 
tions. 

The  electric  shock  was  a  hand-car  coming  with  all  its 
speed  into  the  station,  propelled  by  eight  stalwart  negroes 
reeking  with  perspiration,  and  on  that  car,  calmly  chew- 
ing his  usual  cud  of  tobacco,  Mr.  Peter  Bassett.  Fort- 
unately he  did  not  see  me.  I  sneaked  away  among  the 
cotton-bales,  and  knew  that  I  had  hardly  fifteen  minutes 
more  of  freedom.  The  moment  the  detective  reported 
to  the  provost  marshal,  orders  would  be  issued  for  my 
arrest. 


CHAPTER   Vn. 


THE    BLOCKADE-RUNNER. 


As  I  hurried  from  the  depot,  my  eyes  fell  upon  the  rail- 
road clock.  Its  hands  made  the  time  fifteen  minutes  of 
two. 

A  sudden  thought  flashed  through  my  mind.  Captain 
Samson,  the  burly  British  commander  of  the  Dart,  had 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  55 

said  his  vessel  would  leave  at  two  o'clock  in  the  day,  and 
drop  down  the  river  to  Fort  Fisher,  from  there  that  even- 
ing to  make  the  attempt  to  run  through  the  Federal 
blockading  squadron,  I  determined  to  take  the  chance 
of  leaving  the  Confederacy  without  a  pass  on  the  Dart. 
I  hurried  to  the  levee,  which  was  probably  at  that  time 
the  busiest  point  in  the  whole  Southern  States.  Numer- 
ous blockade-runners  were  discharging  cargoes  of  mis- 
cellaneous manufactures,  guns,  ammunition  and  material 
of  war  for  the  Confederacy,  while  others  were  being 
loaded  to  their  gunwales  with  bale  upon  bale  of  cotton, 
to  give  labor  to  the  starving  spinners  of  Manchester. 
The  more  a  boat  looked  like  a  mountain  of  cotton,  the 
nearer  she  was  ready  to  sail. 

I  saw  a  sharp,  rakish-looking  craft  of  about  four  hun- 
dred tons,  of  a  dull,  leaden  color  from  the  top  of  her  low 
smoke-stack  to  her  water  line,  her  deck  piled  with  at 
least  two  tiers  of  cotton  bales,  and  read  upon  her  stern 
''  Dartr 

A  number  of  negro  stevedores  were  employed  putting 
on  board  a  few  extra  bales  that  were  generally  considered 
the  perquisites  of  the  officers  of  the  ship.  The  boat  was 
evidently  almost  ready  to  leave.  One  of  these  negro 
stevedores  came  around  a  large  pile  of  cotton  bales,  evi- 
dently in  search  of  something.  It  was  his  pipe  which  he 
had  forgotten. 

As  he  picked  up  the  pipe,  I  touched  him  on  the  shoul- 
der and  held  out  a  one-hundred-dollar  greenback.  The 
darkey's  eyes  rolled,  his  lips  watered,  for  one  hundred 
dollars  in  greenbacks  meant  a  great  deal  more  than  one 
thousand  in  Confederate  money. 

I  said  :  ''  Conceal  me  on  board  that  vessel,  and  this  is 
yours." 

The  darkey,  who  was  a  man  of  herculean  build,  shook 
his  head,  and  said  :  "  I'd  like  de  hundred,  Massa,  but  de 
job  ain't  possible." 

He  and  a  companion  who  had  joined  him  stooped  to 
lift  another  bale  of  cotton,  when,  with  an  inspiration 
born  of  desperation,  I  whispered,  "  The  job  is  possible  ! 
Put  me  inside  of  that  bale  ;  then  you  can  carry  me  on 
board." 

"  Golly  !  "  said  the  first  darkey,  and  "  Holy  Moses  !  " 
said  the  second. 


56  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

"  One  hundred  dollars,  and  put  me  in  that  bale  !  "  re- 
peated I. 

"  You'se  got  to  make  it  two  fifties,  massa,  and  we'll 
do  it.  We  won't  neber  dar  change  a  hundred-dollar  bill. 
Dat  throw  'spicion  on  us  to  once." 

I  hurriedly  sought  in  my  pocket-book  and  produced 
the  required  denominations,  while  with  a  celerity  that 
astonished  me  the  two  stevedores  ripped  up  the  bale  of 
cotton,  and  tore  out  enough  of  it  to  permit  my  con- 
cealment. Giving  them  the  money,  I  found  myself  nearly 
smothered  in  the  white  fleece  that  gave  to  the  South  the 
sinews  of  war  with  which  it  fought  so  desperately  for 
four  years. 

Whispering  to  me  that  they  would  stow  the  bale  in  a 
place  from  which  I  could  get  out,  the  two  negroes  picked 
me  up  and  after  a  few  moments'  rapid  motion,  I  judged 
from  the  bale  being  put  down  again  that  I  was  on  board 
the  Dart  Before  leaving  me,  one  of  the  darkeys  cut 
the  bands  that  confined  the  bale  and  pulled  me  out  of  it. 

I  found  myself  in  a  space  not  over  a  foot  high  be- 
tween the  top  of  the  cargo  in  the  hold  and  the  lower 
deck.  An  angle  made  by  a  beam  left  space  enough  be- 
tween the  cargo  and  the  ship  to  receive  my  body.  Into 
this  I  was  unceremoniously  hustledby  the  stevedore,  who 
made  me  very  uncomfortable  by  this  remark  as  he  de- 
parted : 

"  Seems  to  me  dis  beam  may  sabe  you  from  de  probin' 
an'  pokin',  but,  fo'  de  Lord,  when  it  comes  to  de  smokin', 
I  pities  you  Massa  Runaway." 

I  had  not  much  time  to  meditate  upon  the  ominous 
significance  of  the  stevedore's  words,  fori  soon  heard  the 
throbbing  of  the  engine  and  the  revolutions  of  the  twin 
screws  by  which  the  vessel  was  propelled,  and  knew  that 
she  must  be  under  way.  My  heart  gave  a  jump  of  joy. 
I  had  escaped  the  poking  and  smoking  ! 

The  vessel  had  hardly  been  in  motion  a  quarter  of  an 
hour,  when  I  could  hear  the  captain  replying  to  a  hail, 
apparently  from  a  patrol  boat.  The  engines  stopped, 
and  a  minute  after  Samson's  hearty  English  voice  ex- 
claimed :  "  So  you  have  come  on  board,  as  usual,  to  do 
your  searching  and  smoking  ?  This  is  the  third  success- 
ful trip  I  have  made,  and  you  never  omit  it,  though  you 
have  not  found  any  contrabands  on  board  yet." 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  57 

At  this  remark,  my  spirits,  which  had  been  buoyant 
ever  since  the  vessel  left  Wilmington,  left  mc,  and  my 
heart  began  to  beat  with  a  nervous  flutter.  We  were  to 
be  searched  and  smc  ked  ! 

This  was  at  present  an  unknown  horror.  A  few  mo- 
ments later  it  became  a  real  one.  After  a  minute  or  so, 
a  little  light  came  into  my  place  of  imprisonment.  The 
hatches  had  evidently  been  opened.  I  heard  voices,  and 
the  searching  began. 

It  was  impossible  for  the  Confederate  soldiers  to  move 
about  the  cargo,  that  was  packed  so  tightly  ;  but  by 
means  of  long  poles,  which  they  forced  through  the 
crevices  between  the  bales  of  cotton,  they  explored  every 
part  of  the  vessel  pretty  thoroughly,  and  had  it  not  been 
for  the  protecting  beam  of  the  vessel  behind  which  I  had 
taken  refuge,  my  body  would  have  been  such  a  mass  of 
bruises  and  wounds  that  I  should  probably  have  cried 
out  from  very  pain.  As  it  was,  I  rather  laughed  Lt  the 
efforts  of  my  enemies  to  bring  me  from  my  place  of 
concealment. 

While  the  guard  were  doing  this,  the  captain  jeered 
at  them.  "  Didn't  I  tell  you  there  wasn't  any  refugees 
on  board  my  vessel  !  Poke  away,  but  don't  keep  me  so 
I'll  lose  the  tide  and  can't  get  out  through  the  Yankee 
blockaders  to-night." 

"  All  right  !  "  said  the  officer  in  command  of  the 
guard-boat.  **  We'll  give  your  hold  a  good  half-hour's 
smoke,  and  if  that  doesn't  bring  any  one,  we'll  let  you  go 
down  the  river." 

The  hatches  were  put  on  again,  and  I  could  hear  the 
men  going  up  on  deck.  As  the  light  was  cut  off  by 
the  closed  hatchways,  a  vile,  suffocating,  unendurable 
odor  of  smoking  rosin  and  tar  came  to  my  nostrils.  This 
grew  denser  and  denser,  until  every  breath  that  I  drew 
seemed  to  contain  no  oxygen  but  all  smoke.  The  per- 
spiration came  from  every  pore  of  my  body.  A  black 
soot  settled  upon  me  and  filled  my  nostrils.  I  could 
feel  my  eyes  grow  large  in  their  sockets.  Racking  pains 
shot  through  my  head  and  back.  I  was  too  feeble  to  cry 
out,  or  I  should  have  screamed  for  deliverance.  Faint- 
ing, I  sank  down  in  my  place  of  concealment.  I  was 
almost  asphyxiated  !  Suddenly,  as  my  head  became 
lower,  I  felt  a  cold  current  of  air  fanning   my  cheek. 


58  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

Greedily  as  a  starving  man  seizes  food  did  I  inhale  this. 
It  was  the  breath  of  life,  and  issued  from  a  small  aperture 
in  an  iron  rod  that  came  down  and  fitted  into  a  socket 
in  the  deck.  Instead  of  being  solid,  this  was,  for  greater 
lightness,  in  the  form  of  a  tube.  A  portion  of  this  tube 
had  been  broken  away,  which  left  free  communication 
with  the  upper  air  above.  I  glued  my  mouth  to  the  aper- 
ture, and  once  more  began  to  live.  I  could  defy  not 
only  the  searching,  but  the  smoking  of  my  enemies. 

I  lay  there  and  sucked  in  the  invigorating  air  from 
above,  while  around  me,  for  the  next  fifteen  minutes, 
was  an  atmosphere  of  soot  and  smoke  in  which  no  man 
could  have  lived.  After  a  time  the  hatches  were  re- 
opened. No  cries  having  been  heard,  and  no  one  having 
crawled  out  to  surrender  himself,  the  guard-boat  de- 
parted. I  made  myself  as  comfortable  as  circumstances 
would  permit,  and  about  two  hours  afterward  the  boat 
stopped  again  and  anchored  behind  Fort  Fisher.  I  knew 
that  it  must  become  dark  night,  and  that  consequently 
several  hours  must  elapse,  before  the  boat  would  venture 
to  leave  the  protection  of  the  Confederate  guns. 

To  my  astonishment  it  seemed  to  me  hardly  an  hour 
before  the  vessel's  engines  were  again  in  motion.  She 
was  moving  through  the  water  once  more. 

What  was  the  meaning  of  this — it  could  not  be  possi- 
ble the  captain  would  dare  to  run  his  vessel  through  the 
blockading  squadron  in  open  daylight?  She  must,  for 
some  unknown  reason,  be  returning  to  Wilmington  I 

As  this  horrid  thought  ran  through  me,  I  gave  a  gasp 
of  despair,  but  after  a  moment  became  calmer  and  de- 
termined to  find  out.    Anything  was  better  than  suspense. 

I  began  to  crawl  through,  or  rather  over  the  cotton  to- 
ward the  hatchway.  A  little  light  coming  from  it,  as  it 
had  not  been  carefully  closed,  guided  my  movements. 
After  half  an  hour's  desperate  battle  with  the  cotton  bales, 
squeezing  between  them  and  the  deck,  I  arrived  at  the 
hatchway.  Looking  up  I  became  convinced  it  was  really 
daylight.  I  consulted  my  watch.  It  showed  the  hour 
of  5    P.M. 

What  unforeseen  thing  had  happened  ?  That  I  must 
discover.  Cautiously  I  forced  the  hatchway  further  off, 
and,  standing  on  the  cotton  bales  below,  squeezed  myself 
through  upon  the  lower  deck. 


HOW    I    ESCAPED,  59 

There  was  no  one  here  to  discover  me.  After  making 
sure  of  that,  I  carefully  ascended  the  ladder,  and,  peering 
out  upon  the  upper  deck,  saw,  as  well  as  I  was  able  for 
the  surrounding  bales  of  cotton,  that  there  was  something 
white  and  fleecy  in  the  air  about  me.  For  a  moment  I 
thought  the  ship  must  be  on  fire  and  deserted  by  her  crew. 
Next,  my  eyes  being  blinded  by  the  light  after  the  inky 
blackness  of  the  vessel's  hold,  I  imagined  that  it  was  flakes 
of  cotton  liberated  from  their  bales  in  some  unknown 
manner,  floating  about  me.  A  few  moments  after  I  gave 
a  gasp  of  astonishment  and  joy — my  eyes  had  resumed 
their  functions.     I  saw  what  was  really  taking  place. 

In  a  dense,  heavy  white  ocean  fog,  the  blockade-run- 
ner was  boldly  attempting  to  run  unseen  through  the 
Federal  squadron  that  barred  her  passage  to  the  open 
sea. 

Whether  the  blockade-runner  escaped  or  was  captured 
by  the  United  States  vessels,  I  was  out  of  the  Confeder- 
acy in  any  event ! 

I  staggered  upon  the  deck  feeling  once  more  a  free 
man.  The  crew  were  all  at  their  places.  The  captain 
near  the  pilot,  who  stood  at  the  wheel,  bringing  two  small 
lights  that  were  placed  upon  the  beach  half  a  mile  away 
into  a  line,  or  what  is  nautically  termed  ''  into  one." 

When  this  was  done,  we  were  in  the  true  channel  lead- 
ing to  the  ocean. 

The  second  officer  saw  me,  and  silently  supported  me 
to  where  the  captain  was.  That  gentleman  regarded  me 
for  a  moment  and  whispered  :  "  Give  him  'something  to 
drink.  The  poor  devil's  dying.  He  looks  like  a  smoked 
herring.  Haven't  time  to  attend  to  him  now  !  "  and  then 
gazed  with  the  pilot  anxiously  out  to  sea. 

My  appearance  justified  the  skipper's  words.  I  was 
covered  with  black  soot  that  made  me  look  almost  a 
negro.  My  mouth  was  parched  with  the  heat  of  the 
lower  hold  ;  my  tongue  hung  out  of  it  bronzed  by  thirst ; 
my  body  was  fainting  with  weakness.  I  could  only  gasp, 
"Water!" 

It  was  given  me.  I  revived  and  became  hungry.  The 
cook  took  compassion  on  me,  and  gave  me  some  hard 
tack  and  meat.  I  sat  upon  the  deck,  silently  munching' 
this  and  regaining  my  strength.  As  I  ate,  I  watched  the 
picture  before  me  with  intense  eagerness.     The  vessel 


6o  HOW    I    ESCAPED, 

was  making  her  way  slowly  from  under  the  guns  of  Fort 
Fisher  into  the  circle  of  Federal  blockading  vessels  that 
were  presumed  to  lie  just  out  of  the  range  of  the  Con- 
federate artillery.  I  say  presumed  to  lie,  because  the 
fog  was  so  dense  that  not  one  of  them  could  be  seen. 
Through  this  fog  the  boat  glided,  her  deck  as  silent  as  if 
she  were  manned  by  the  dead,  though  every  sailor  of  the 
crew  was  on  the  alert,  and  every  motion  showed  intense 
excitement. 

The  pilot  and  captain  were  at  the  wheel,  and  the  direc- 
tions were  given  to  the  engineer  in  whisper  through  a 
speaking  tube  ;  the  sounding  of  the  bell  might  indicate 
our  whereabouts  to  some  neighboring  Federal  cruiser. 

Though  it  was  only  five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  this 
fog  was  as  good  a  protection,  if  not  abetter,  than  the  dark- 
ness of  night.  As  I  stood  leaning  against  a  cotton  bale, 
my  nerves  seemed  to  be  more  powerful  than  those  of 
ordinary  men,  my  excitement  was  so  great,  I  caught 
a  motion  of  the  second  ofificer  of  the  vessel,  who  stood 
near  me. 

He  went  forward  silently  to  the  captain  and  touched 
his  arm,  and  looking  through  the  mist,  I  saw  a  light  glim- 
mering in  the  fog  about  a  hundred  yards  away. 

The  captain  muttered,  as  the  second  ofificer  pointed 
this  out  to  him:  "The  light  of  a  Yankee  flag-ship.  She 
has  to  keep  a  light,  as  she  is  at  anchor.  Some  of  the 
cruisers  might  run  into  her." 

We  passed  the  light.  Receiving  no  hail,  and  hearing  no 
commotion  on  her  decks,  I  gave  a  sigh  of  relief,  which 
the  captain  echoed.  But  not  a  minute  after  this  my 
heart  gave  a  jump.  There  was  a  whizzing  sound 
through  the  air  ;  for  a  moment  I  thought  that  it  must  be 
a  shot,  but  looking  into  the  heavens,  1  saw  the  fiery  tail 
of  a  rocket  fly  through  the  mist. 

"Curse  her!"  growled  the  captain;  ''she  suspects 
something,  and  has  sent  up  a  signal.  There  will  be  a 
lot  of  them  around  here  and  around  us  in  a  few  min- 
utes !  " 

With  that  he  whispered  something  down  the  speaking- 
tube  to  the  engine-room.  The  vessel  seemed  suddenly 
to  double  her  speed  and  fly  through  the  white,  thick 
clouds  of  vapor  that  were  around  her.  But  now,  to  the 
horror  of  every  one  on  board,  this  vapor,  as  we  sped 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  6l 

along,  seemed  to  grow  lighter  and  lighter,  and  the  captain 
muttered  to  himself  :  "  My  God  !  the  fog  is  rising  !  " 

Then  the  pilot  grew  pale,  and  whispered  :  "  There  is  a 
very  good  chance  of  our  being  captured  this  trip." 

The  captain  muttered,  *I  have  made  three  in-and-out 

runs  this  year,  and  d d  if  I  will  be  captured  this  trip, 

or  any  other  !  " 

As  for  me,  my  heart  was  as  light  as  the  dancing  waves 
through  which  we  rode.  If  captured,  I  would  be  sent 
north;  and  if  we  reached  Nassau,  I  could  take  a  vessel  for 
New  York.  I  was  out  of  the  Confederacy,  that  was 
certain  ! 

My  joy  was  so  great  that  it  was  impossible  to  keep  it 
out  of  my  face,  and  the  second  officer  as  he  passed  gave 

me  a  scowl,  and  said  :   "  What  are  you  looking  so  d d 

happy  for  ? " 

As  for  the  captain,  he  seemed  to  be  thinking  deeply, 
and  turning  some  plan  for  escape  over  in  his  brain. 

The  vessel  continued  her  speed.  Suddenly  a  low, 
dusky  outline  appeared  in  the  mist  upon  the  port  side 
of  us.  Both  the  captain  and  pilot  gave  a  start,  and 
grasped  the  handles  of  the  wheel  more  firmly.  The  next 
instant  a  cry  of  the  second  officer  and  a  wave  of  his  hand 
caused  me  to  look  to  starboard.  Another  low,  dark  out- 
line could  be  seen  upon  that  side  of  us.  Both,  however, 
were  a  little  forward  of  us— one  upon  our  port,  and  the 
other  upon  our  starboard  bow.  "  Two  cursed  Yankee 
cruisers  ! "  muttered  the  second  officer. 

The  next  instant  thunder  apparently  broke  into  the 
mist.  The  lightning  flashed,  and  the  thunderbolts  seemed 
to  fly  through  the  air. 

The  English  captain  gave  a  low   chuckle,  and   said  : 

*'  D n  them,  those  two  Yankee  beggars  are  peppering 

each  other !  "  (for  not  a  shot  came  near  us).  "  Now  they 
will  be  so  occupied  they  won't  notice  me." 

He  whispered  something  to  the  engine-room,  turned 
a  few  spokes  of  the  wheel,  and  the  little  blockade-runner 
seemed -to  revolve  upon  her  axis  and  return  over  the 
path  by  which  she  had  come. 

"What  are  you  doing  ?"  gasped  I. 

"Going  back  to  Fort  Fisher  as  quick  as  we  can,"  mut- 
tered the  second  officer.    "  We  will  try  it  again  to-night !  " 

These  words  almost  made  my  heart  stop  still.     Going 


62  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

back  to  Fort  Fisher  !  Going  back  to  the  Confederacy, 
from  which  I  had  escaped  !  Would  I  be  able  to  conceal 
myself,  and  sail  out  again  on  their  next  attempt  ?  The 
chances  were  not  one  in  ten  thousand,  with  my  escape 
known  in  Wilmington,  and  Mr,  Peter  I3assett  upon  my 
trail. 

My  only  hope  now  was  that  rue  should  be  captured! 

In  returning,  we  were  compelled  to  run  close  to  the 
Federal  flag-ship  again,  and  the  mist  was  not  quite  so 
heavy. 

With  the  courage  born  of  desperation,  as  we  neared  the 
admiral's  flag-ship  I  shrieked  out  wildly  to  the  top  of  my 
lungs  :    "  Ship  ahoy  !     Stop  this  blockade-runner  !  " 

My  voice  rang  out  through  the  still  air,  causing  a  com- 
motion on  the  Federal  flag-ship  that  I  could  see  as  well 
as  hear,  but  causing  more  commotion  and  more  surprise 
upon  the  decks  of  the  blockade-runner. 

A  pattering  hail  of  musket  balls  began  to  fall  upon  us. 
The  United  States  marines  had  opened  fire  ! 

"Ship  ahoy  !  "  I  cried  again. 

I  could  see  the  red-faced  English  captain  dancing  a 
jig  of  rage  as  he  stood  at  the  wheel.  The  second  officer 
was  cursing,  and  running  toward  me,  a  belaying  pin  in 
his  hand. 

I  cried  :  "  Ship  ahoy  !     Stop  this  block " 

At  this  instant  a  flash  of  lightning  seemed  to  strike  my 
brain.  I  reeled  and  fell  upon  the  deck.  My  last  fleet- 
ing, conscious  glance  saw  the  second  officer  with  his 
belaying  pin  raised  for  another  blow. 

Then  the  mist  seemed  to  close  around  me  and  night  to 
come  upon  me.  There  was  a  surging  in  my  ears,  a  roar- 
ing of  waves  in  my  brain,  and nothing  ! 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE    SHOVEL    OR    THE    RIFLE? 

*'  Chuck  that  corpse  into  a  wagon  !  " 

The  voice  seemed  familiar,  but  I  was  so  sick,  so  dizzy, 
and  such  burning  pains  shot  through  my  head,  that  I  was 
unable  to  speak. 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  6;^ 

"  Pitch  that  corpse  into  a  wagon,  I  say,  quick  !  " 

The  voice  seemed  very  famihar  to  me.  I  felt  myself 
thrown  into  something  in  a  very  unceremonious  manner, 
and  gave  a  groan. 

"  Hello  !  By  Jove  he's  a  tough  one  !  "  was  the  next 
lemark,  and  in  the  tones  I  recognized  the  voice  of  Peter 
Bassett.  "  Smoked,  and  poled,  and  knocked  over  the  head 
with  a  belaying  pin  by  a  British  skipper  until  he  is  nearly 
a  mummy,  and  s^i7l  alive  !  I  have  half  a  mind  to  let  him 
die,  for  the  mean  trick  he  played  on  me,  but  I  reckon  I 
had  better  fulfill  my  orders  and  get  him  back  into  a  breath- 
ing condition  if  possible." 

With  that  I  felt  my  jaws  forced  open,  and  something 
trickled  down  my  throat  that  seemed  liquid  fire,  but 
apparently  gave  renewed  life  and  vigor  to  my  limbs, 
though  my  head  still  ached  as  though  it  would  burst. 

"  What  are  you  doing  to  me  ?  "  I  gasped. 

"  Giving  you  brandy,  firstly,  and  carrying  you  back  to 
the  provost  marshal  at  Wilmington,  secondly.  You  are 
the  slipperiest  customer  I  ever  tackled." 

"Where  am  I  ?"  I  muttered,  dreamily. 

"  Just  being  toted  on  the  ambulance  through  the  streets 
of  Wilmington,  North  Carolina.  The  British  skipper  was 
so  cursed  mad  at  your  hallooing  to  the  Yanks  that  he 
had  not  more  than  cast  anchor  before  his  boat  brought 
you  ashore  and  turned  you  over.  He  swears  that  after 
his  hospitality  to  you,  you  are  the  most  ungrateful  cuss 
that  ever  trod  his  deck.  If,  from  your  desperation,  he 
had  not  supposed  we  would  shoot  you  as  soon  as  we  got 
hold  of  you,  I  reckon  he  would  have  tossed  you  over- 
board to  the  sharks." 

All  this  came  to  me  in  a  dreamy  way.  The  throbbing 
in  my  brain  was  so  severe  that  I  did  not  care  very  much  at 
that  moment  what  was  happening  to  me. 

A  few  minutes  after  I  found  myself  in  the  temporary 
Confederate  prison  at  Wilmington.  A  surgeon  attended 
me  and  said  that  in  a  week  I  would  be  fit  to  travel.  I 
did  not  pay  much  attention  to  all  this,  but  being  carefully 
attended,  and  the  young  doctor  being  a  man  of  skill,  I 
in  a  few  days  became  convalescent  enough  to  think,  and 
with  thought  came  almost  despair. 

During  my  attempted  escape  from  the  Confederacy,  I 
had  been  too  excited  to  give  much  thought  to  anything 


64  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

but  my  movements.  I  had  had  no  time  for  reflection. 
Now  I  began  to  think  of  the  sweetheart  I  had  lost,  and 
loved,  and  for  whom  I  had  sacrificed  so  much.  I  knew  I 
could  expect  little  mercy  from  the  Confederate  Government 
— that  my  chances  of  getting  north  were  now  practically 
nothing  ;  that  I  would  be  either  forced  into  the  Confeder- 
ate service  to  fight  against  the  cause  I  regarded  as  right, 
or  drag  out  the  length  of  the  war  in  some  Confederate 
military  prison.  All  that,  however,  seemed  but  little  to 
me,  now  that  I  had  once  more  got  my  thoughts  upon 
Laura  Peyton.  I  fell  to  dreaming  about  her  in  a  despe- 
rate, sullen  sort  of  manner.  I  believe  I  should  have  died 
of  despair  had  I  not  heard  the  surgeon  say,  one  day,  that 
as  soon  as  I  was  well  enough  for  him  to  certify  my  ability 
to  travel,  I  wa3  to  be  sent  to  Charleston. 

To  Charlestoji !  I  was  going  nearer  to  the  girl  from 
whom  I  had  fled,  but  whose  image  had  never  left  my  mind, 
even  in  the  excitement  of  the  extraordinary  adventures, 
uncertainties,  and  trials  through  which  I  had  passed. 

I  asked  the  surgeon  if  he  could  tell  me  from  where 
the  orders  had  come  for  my  removal. 

"  I  believe  they  were  brought  here  by  the  detective 
who  caused  your  arrest." 

This  of  course  meant  my  friend  Mr.  Bassett.  If  I 
could  but  discover  under  whose  instructions  he  was  acting, 
or  by  what  influence  he  had  been  detailed  to  prevent  my 
escape  from  the  Confederacy,  I  might  be  able  to  form  an 
idea  of  my  future  fate. 

Two  days  afterward  I  left  Wilmington  upon  the  train 
in  the  custody  of  the  detective,  and,  weak  as  I  was,  pro- 
ceeded to  pump  him  as  to  the  influence  that  had  brought 
me  to  the  condition  I  was  now  in.  I  had  not  been  robbed 
of  my  money  when  arrested.  Bassett,  for  a  detective,  was 
honest  ;  consequently,  by  means  of  my  Federal  green- 
backs, that  were  as  potent  in  the  Confederacy  as  they  were 
north  of  Mason  and  Dixon's  line,  I  soon  had  Mr.  Bassett 
in  a  sufficiently  communicative  mood  for  him  to  tell  me 
he  reckoned  1  had  some  powerful  enemy  among  the  high 
government  officials. 

"Do  you  mean  Confederate  army  officials?"  I  asked. 

"Oh,  no  ;  they  are  too  busy  fighting  ;  but  it  is  some- 
body who  has  a  big  pull  in  Richm.ond." 

"  You  don't  know  his  name  ?  "  1  inquired. 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  65 

*'  No  ;  and  if  I  did  I  would  not  tell  you  ;  but  he  is  a 
big  'un,  you  can  reckon  on  that." 

The  only  enemy  I  had  of  such  influence  was  Mr. 
Amos  Pierson.  The  poorer  tlie  Confederacy  grew,  the 
richer  he  had  become,  and  the  army  contractor  had  now 
even  greater  power  than  at  the  beginning  of  the  war. 

Amos  Pierson  had  had  me  arrested  !  Amos  Pierson  had 
prevented  my  escape  north  !  And  fool  that  he  was,  Amos 
Pierson  was  bringing  me  nearer  and  nearer  with  each 
revolution  of  the  car  wheels  to  the  girl  I  loved  !  I  felt 
happy  in  the  thought  that  in  my  forlorn  condition  my 
luck  was  turning  ;  that  after  all  it  was  fated  I  should 
not  leave  South  Carolina  until  I  had  made  her  my  bride. 

When  youth  and  hope  pull  the  same  way,  the  result  is 
almost  a  certainty.  In  the  two  days  that  Mr.  Basseti 
and  I  took  to  reach  Charleston,  health  had  again  come 
to  me.  My  spirits,  before  broken  down,  were  elastic 
and  buoyant.  My  body,  that  had  been  debilitated  and 
enervated  by  disappointment  and  confinement,  was  rap- 
idly regaining  the  elasticity  and  strength  that  should  be 
in  a  man  of  twenty-eight  who  has  not  destroyed  his 
vitality  by  disease,  dissipation,  nor  luxury.  I  was  strong 
enough  to  fight  the  battle  of  life  and  love  once  more  as 
we  ran  into  Charleston. 

We  arrived  at  this  place  about  April  17th,  nearly 
two  weeks  after  the  decisive  repulse  of  the  Federal 
monitors  in  their  attack  upon  and  bombardment  of  Fort 
Sumter  and  the  neighboring  batteries. 

The  town,  as  I  looked  at  it  in  the  bright,  soft  spring  air 
of  that  April  morning,  would  have  seemed  to  me  the 
Charleston  I  had  known  before  the  war,  had  it  not  been 
for  its  hurrying  troops,  the  new  batteries  in  connection 
with  Moultrie  to  the  left,  the  long  lines  of  earthworks  to 
the  right,  on  the  shores  of  Morris  and  James  islands, 
ending  in  Battery  Wagner  ;  between  these  Fort  Sumter, 
sitting  upon  its  granite  rocks  in  the  middle  of  the  pas- 
sage, the  key  to  the  defense  of  Charleston.  I  had  not 
much  time  for  reflection,  for  I  was  immediately  placed 
in  charge  of  the  provost  guard  by  Mr.  Bassett,  and  hur- 
ried through  the  streets  to  the  Charleston  jail  in  the  south- 
eastern portion  of  the  city. 

A  few  Federal  prisoners  of  war  were  in  the  jail  yard  at 
the  time,  though  it  was  by  no  means  crowded  ;  as  it  was 


66  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

some  months  afterward,  when  a  number  of  Union  cap- 
tives, officers  and  men,  were  brought  in  from  Anderson- 
ville  and  other  prisons,  in  a  vain  attempt  to  prevent  the 
United  States  batteries  on  Morris  Island  from  bombard- 
ing the  town. 

To  my  astonishment  I  was  placed  in  the  fourth  story 
of  the  jail  building — a  portion  that  was  entirely  devoted 
to  the  incarceration  of  deserters  from  the  Confederate 
army.  I  protested  against  this,  telling  the  officer  in 
charge  that  I  was  no  deserter,  and  asking  to  be  confined 
with  the  civil  prisoners  on  the  ground  floor. 

This,  however,  was  immediately  denied  me.  I  had  to 
make  myself  as  comfortable  as  possible  where  I  was 
placed.  This  I  did  by  means  of  some  of  the  greenbacks 
I  still  had  with  me. 

I  asked  the  officer  in  command  of  the  guard  if  I  could 
be  permitted  to  communicate  with  Colonel  Bee,  of  the 
Adjutant  General's  department.  After  some  hesitation, 
he  refused  to  carry  or  send  any  note,  but  informed  me 
that  he  would  notify  Colonel  Bee  that  I  was  in  the  prison, 
and  in  case  that  officer  wanted  to  see  me,  he  presumed  I 
would  know  it.  That  was  all  that  I  wished.  Bee  was 
the  last  man  to  turn  his  back  upon  a  friend  when  in  dis- 
tress or  trouble. 

Agreeable  to  my  expectations,  about  an  hour  after  this 
Stuart  Bee  passed  the  guard  and  came  up  to  see  me.  He 
was  looking  very  well,  with  the  exception  of  a  slight  pale- 
ness, caused  by  loss  of  blood,  and  carried  his  left  arm  in 
a  sling. 

Noticing  my  look  of  anxiety,  he  gave  a  slight  laugh  and 
said  :  "  Bryant,  a  little  present  from  your  friends,  the 
Yanks.  I  got  it  at  Fort  Sumter  about  two  weeks  ago. 
If  it  had  not  been  for  that,  you  would  hardly  have  seen 
mc  so  soon  ;  but  I  am  at  present,  fortunately  for  you,  off 
active  duty  on  account  of  this.  However,  I  will  be 
shortly  in  condition  to  return  this  compliment. "  And  he 
touched  his  bandaged  arm. 

I  expressed  my  concern  at  his  wound. 

'•  Pooh  !  pooh  !  It  is  nothing  !  Your  case  is  a  great 
deal  worse.  Now,"  he  said,  taking  me  aside,  "  unless 
you  do  something  for  yourself,  I  can  do  very  little  for 
you,  Bryant,  old  fellow.  You  did  not  take  my  advice, 
and    report   for  service   as   crdered,  but   attempted   to 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  67 

escape.  At  all  events,  that  is  what  Bassett  reports  of 
your  movements.  Now  that  you  are  here,  unless  you  do 
as  I  advise  you,  the  chances  are  you  will  have,  during 
this  summer,  a  pretty  warm  time  of  it." 

"  What  do  you  advise  me  U-  do  ?  "   I  asked. 

"  Do  what  you  are  commanded.  You  will  join  the 
Confederate  service.  I  believe  I  have  influence  enouo^h 
to  get  you  a  staff  appointment,  as  I  promised  you.  Your 
engineering  ability  is  well  known,  and  can  be  made  use  of 
here  in  building  fortifications.  You  will  probably  have 
no  active  fighting  to  do  against  oiir  enemies  the  Yanks." 

"  And  if  I  refuse  to  fight  *  our  enemies  '  the  Yanks  ?  " 
said  I. 

"  Then  all  I  can  do  is  to  make  your  lot  as  a  prisoner  as 
comfortable  as  possible.  We  are  suffering,  ourselves,  for 
want  of  provisions  and  many  comforts  of  life ;  you,  as  a 
prisoner,  will  scarcely  receive  as  much,  and  will  be,  com- 
paratively, badly  off.  Think  of  this  matter.  I  will  con- 
trive to  postpone  your  examination  until  to-morrow.  Do 
as  I  ask  you.  It  is  the  easiest  way  out  of  the  scrape,  old 
fellow.  Meantime  I  will  try  to  make  your  quarters  more 
comfortable." 

With  this  he  left  me.  Half  an  hour  afterward  I  had 
evidence  of  Bee's  not  having  forgotten  his  promise. 

I  was  removed  to  the  second  floor  of  the  building 
where  the  Confederate  officers  and  soldiers  accused  of 
military  offenses  were  imprisoned.  There  I  had  a  small 
room  by  myself,  which  had  clean  linen  upon  its  bed. 
Soon  after  a  good  meal  of  corn  bread,  fresh  beef,  and 
coffee  made  from  parched  corn,  showed  me  that  as  far  as 
it  was  possible  in  a  country  that  was  slowly  but  surely 
losing  all  the  comforts  of  life,  my  welfare  had  been  taken 
care  of  by  the  generous  Georgian. 

The  next  morning  Bee  called  again,  and  added  to  his 
arguments  of  the  day  before  the  following  one,  which 
caused  me  much  mental  anguish,  though  it  did  not  shake 
the  resolution  I  had  made  and  kept  for  three  years. 

"  I  have  been  inquiring  about  your  affair,  Bryant,"  he 
said,  "  and  it  is  rumored  that  the  reason  you  remained 
south,  \j'as  because  of  your  engagement  to  Judge  Pey- 
ton's daughter.  You  stayed  here  to  win  her,  but  her  south- 
ern sentiments  prevented  your  success,  even  though  she 
loved  you.     From  all  I  can  find  out,  I  am  inclined  to 


68  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

think  she  loves  you  still  If  you  join  us,  old  boy,  she'll 
adore  you,  and  we  will  soon  have  a  wedding.  I'll  be 
your  best  man — for  even  in  these  unhappy  days  we 
soldiers  steal  some  time  from  Mars  to  devote  to  Cupid. 
You  might  just  as  well  be  happy  and  free  as  an  officer  of 
the  Confederate  army,  and  gain  the  woman  you  love,  as 
to  be  a  prisoner  until  the  close  of  the  war  and  lose  her. 
Your  examination  will  take  place  in  about  half  an  hour. 
Don't  make  a  fool  of  yourself  !  Let  love  aid  common 
sense  !  " 

The  time  left  me  for  reflection  did  not  change  my 
resolution.  I  had  made  up  my  mind  how  I  must  act. 
Duty  and  honor  said  one  thing.  Love  might  cry  out  the 
other  as  loud  as  it  liked  ;  my  resolve  was  unchanged. 

My  interview  with  the  Confederate  provost  marshal 
was  very  short,  but  by  no  means  sweet.  That  ofificer 
said  :  "  Mr.  Bryant,  I  know  everything  in  regard  to  your 
matter.  We  have  a  high  respect  for  your  ability  as  an 
engineer.  You  can  be  very  useful  to  us.  You  were 
ordered  to  report  at  Charleston  on  the  loth  of  April. 
Seven  days  afterward  you  were  brought  here,  having  at- 
tempted to  leave  the  Confederate  lines  without  a  pass- 
port, and  under  circumstances  that  indicated  you  in- 
tended to  go  north.  Your  resignation  to  the  railroad 
company  shows  that  you  expected  to  leave  the  South. " 

Here  he  handed  me  the  document  that  had  been  de- 
livered by  Caucus,  as  I  instructed  him,  to  the  officials  of 
the  South  Carolina  Railway.  "  What  have  you  to  sav  to 
it?" 

"Nothing!"  replied  I,  "you  are  entirely  correct  in 
your  surmise.  I  did  intend  to  leave  the  Confederacy, 
because  I  do  not  wish  to  take  service  in  any  capacity 
against  the  government  of  the  United  States." 

"  Very  well,"  continued  he,  "  you  are  a  deserter  from 
our  service.  If  you  accept  an  appointment  under  the 
Confederacy,  and  take  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  our  gov- 
ernment, you  will  be  put  upon  active  duty  in  the  army. 
Do  you  accept  the  same  ?  " 

"  No  !  "  I  answered.  "  I  will  not  enlist  in  the  Confed- 
erate army." 

"  Very  well.  I  shall  report  the  case  as  it  stands  to  the 
general  in  command. "  And  with  that  he  dismissed  me 
under  care  of  the  guard  again  to  my  prison. 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  69 

A  week  after  this  I  was  summoned  before  him  once 
more. 

"  We  have  received  orders  from  Richmond  with  re- 
gard to  you,  "  he  said,  "  and  I  am  sorry,  Mr.  Bryant, 
that  they  are  of  a  kind  that  will  be  as  unpleasant  for  me 
to  carry  out  as  they  will  be  for  you  to  endure.  You 
refuse  to  enter  the  Confederate  army,  once  more  ? " 

"  Yes  !  "  I  replied,  "  as  firmly  as  I  did  two  days  ago, 
but  I  am  very  much  obliged  to  you,  colonel,  I  see  you 
wish  to  give  me  a  chance  to  escape  some  unpleasant 
position." 

"  You  are  entirely  right,  Mr.  Bryant,"  he  said,  "  but 
since  you  will  not  accept  it,  my  orders  are  to  imprison 
you  here  and  place  you,  as  a  criminal  laborer,  under  mili- 
tary guard  upon  the  fortifications  of  this  place." 

"  A  criminal  ?  "  gasped  I. 

"Yes,  such  are  my  orders.  '  Deserters  are  criminals.' 
Since  the  planters  refuse  to  let  us  have  all  the  negroes 
needed  to  complete  the  necessary  fortifications,  we  want 
shovels  as  well  as  rifles  to  defend  Charleston.  You  re- 
fuse   to   prry   the   rifle.      You    s/ia//  carry  the  shovel. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE    NIGHT    ATTACK. 

•  I  HAD  hardly  reached  the  prison  again,  when  Bee  came 
to  see  me,  and  said  :  "  You  are  very  foolish  in  this  mat- 
ter, Bryant.  Change  your  mind,  and  even  at  this  mo- 
ment I  will  try  to  make  your  fate  a  better  one.  There  is 
some  strong  influence  working  against  you,  otherwise  you 
would  probably  have  been  merely  imprisoned  here  ;  but 
unless  you  consent  to  the  terms  offered  you,  there  is  no 
doubt  that  in  a  day  or  two  you  will  be  working  on  some 
of  those  sand  batteries  down  the  bay  along  with  a  gang 
of  negroes.  They  talk  of  the  yellow  fever  coming  here 
this  summer.  You  will  lead  the  life  of  a  slave.  Unac- 
customed as  you  are  to  hardship,  I  hardly  think,  old  boy, 
that  you  will  ever  see  your  sweetheart  again  For  God's 
sake,  take  my  advice  ;  I  mean  it  for  your  good." 


7©  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

"  No,"  I  replied,  for  I  had  grown  dogged  in  this  matter. 
"  Under  no  circumstances  will  1  take  the  oath  of  allegiance 
to  the  Confederate  Government  !  " 

"  Very  well,"  he  said;  "  you  have  made  your  bed,  and  it 
is  a  hard  one."     He  wrung  my  hand  and  left  me. 

That  evening  I  discovered,  by  the  change  in  my  treat- 
ment, what  was  to  be  my  fate.  I  was  again  removed  to 
the  fourth  floor  of  the  building,  which,  even  at  this  season 
of  the  year,  was  growing  very  hot  and  unpleasant. 

Despite  my  expostulations,  my  clothes  were  removed, 
my  money  taken  from  me,  and  I  was  clad  in  the  stripes  of 
a  convict.  My  rations  were  cut  down  to  simple  corn- 
meal,  and  I  began  to  experience  the  bitterness  and  hope- 
lessness of  my  fate. 

The  next  morning  I  was  hurried  off  with  two  or  three 
more  Confederate  prisoners, — the  very  scum  of  the  prison, 
who  had  been  sentenced  for  dastardly  crimes  against 
social  law — not  the  military  offenses  of  soldiers, — and 
sent  to  join  a  gang  of  negroes  who  were  working  upon 
the  fortifications  being  hastily  erected  on  the  sandy 
island  named  Morris,  defended  and  dominated  at  that 
time  by  the  Confederate  Battery  Wagner. 

As  we  were  marched  ignominiously  down  to  the  tugboat, 
some  of  the  more  desperate  of  us  being  ironed,  the  con- 
temptuous glances  of  the  people  in  the  streets  of  Charleston 
showed  me  that  I  now  was  regarded  as  a  criminal.  The 
treatment  of  the  guard  as  they  hustled  us  onto  the  little 
tug-boat  indicated  that  they  regarded  me  as  one  of  the 
class  among  whom  I  was  placed  ;  not  a  soldier,  not  even  a 
civilian,  but  simply  a  convict.  I  was  very  glad  when,  a 
few  moments  after,  the  tug  left  her  dock  and  took  me 
away  from  the  people  who,  attracted  by  curiosity,  gazed  at 
us.  It  is  very  difficult  to  feel  like  a  hero  in  the  dress  of  a 
felon.     I  was  becoming  ashamed. 

We  ran  down  the  harbor,  passing  the  old-fashioned, 
ineffective  Castle  Pinckney  to  the  left,  then  Battery  Rip- 
ley, and,  gliding  along  the  south  shore  near  Fort  Johnston, 
passed  between  Battery  Greig  and  the  grim  walls  of  Fort 
Sumter,  which  still  frowned  defiance,  though  somewhat 
shattered  by  the  bombardment  of  Union  monitors.  A 
few  minutes  after,  rounding  Cummings'  Point,  we  ran 
down  the  shore  of  Morris  Island,  and  landed  at  Fort 
Wagner. 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  7 1 

Here  the  Confederates  needed  not  only  rifles  but 
shovels.     We  were  to  work  the  shovels. 

This  island  is  about  three  miles  in  length,  and  runs 
from  Battery  Greig  on  the  north  to  a  creek  or  estuary  on 
the  south  which  separates  it  from  Folly  Island. 

This  inlet  is  of  sufficient  size  and  depth  to  be  impass- 
able to  an  attacking  party,  unless  in  boats  and  protected 
by  armed  vessels.  Morris  Island  has  a  varying  width  of 
from  several  hundred  yards  to  perhaps  a  mile,  but  toward 
the  west  runs  into  a  mass  of  creeks  and  marshes  imprac- 
ticable for  the  movement  of  troops.  The  ocean  side  of 
the  island  is  composed  of  numbers  of  sandhills  or  dunes 
of  varying  size,  some  of  them  forty  or  fifty  feet  in  height, 
perhaps  more.  These  are  all  white,  glistening,  flinty, 
burning  sand,  except  where  covered  by  scrubby  trees. 
The  topography  of  Folly  Island,  at  that  time  occupied  by 
the  Federal  forces,  is  of  the  same  general  character. 

On  landing,  we  were  marched,  or  rather  driven,  to  the 
southern  end  of  the  island,  where  we  were  placed  at 
work  upon  some  light  batteries  that  were  being  prepared 
hurriedly  for  Confederate  guns.  Here,  under  a  brilliant 
southern  sun  the  glistening  sand  became  during  the  day 
hot  as  the  surface  of  a  winter  stove.  The  nights,  fortu- 
nately, in  this  later  part  of  April,  were  cooler,  and  gave 
us  some  relief. 

But  as  summer  came  on,  even  these  grew  hot.  From 
the  time  we  landed,  our  lives  became  a  fearful  drudgery 
which  was  never  suffered  to  relax  ;  during  the  day,  filling 
sand  bags  and  throwing  up  embankments;  by  night,  fight- 
ing sand  fleas  for  rest,  slumber  and  forgetfulness.  Our 
rations — corn  meal  and  rancid  bacon — were  such  that  had 
I  not  been  absolutely  driven  to  it  by  starvation,  I  could 
not  have  eaten  a  mouthful.  As  day  after  day  passed, 
all  this  became  a  frightful,  driving  monotony.  The  Con- 
federate officers,  forced  to  haste  in  the  erection  of  their 
batteries  by  the  evident  preparations  that  were  being 
made  on  Folly  Island  to  attack  them,  drove  us  harder  and 
harder  in  our  labor.  These  men  did  not  spare  their  ov/n 
muscles  and  their  own  blood;  then  why  should  they  spare 
us  convicts  and  slaves  ? 

The  summer  advanced.  The  nights  and  days  became 
hotter  and  hotter,  the  labor  more  cruel  and  unremitting, 
our  rations  smaller  and  more  nauseating.      Morris  Island 


72  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

was  now  a  purgatory.  Then  came  the  Federal  attack, 
and  this  purgatory  became  a  hell.  We  were  shot  at  from 
the  Union  batteries  upon  Folly  Island.  The  little  blood 
left  m  our  poor,  half-naked  bodies  by  the  swarms  of 
voracious  mosquitoes  was  drained  from  some  of  us  by 
bursting  Federal  shells.  When  first  upon  the  island,  in 
the  day  there  was  only  time  for  labor,  but  at  night  I 
used  to  think  of  the  woman  I  loved.  Afterward,  the  dull 
monotony  of  passive  misery  seemed  to  take  possession  of 
me.  I  thought  of  nothing  but  of  keeping  alive  till  I 
escaped.  I  began  to  look  longingly  at  the  United  States 
flag  floating  scarcely  a  mile  from  me,  but  what  a  mile  ! 
— a  few  hundred  yards  of  white  sand,  a  deep  inlet  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  wide,  and  more  uncovered  sand  to  that 
Federal  flag.  A  thousand  to  one  I  would  be  shot  be- 
fore I  reached  even  the  inlet.  Notwithstanding  the  des- 
perate nature  of  the  enterprise,  I  believe  I  should 
have  attempted  it  at  night,  had  not  about  this  time  the 
increased  rapidity  with  which  we  were  worked  driven  all 
else  but  the  desire  for  rest  from  my  mind  when  permitted 
respite  from  a  toil  that  now  became  utterly  exhaustive. 

The  activity  on  Folly  Island  indicated  that  the  Con- 
federates were  right  in  hurrying  their  preparations  for 
defense.  One  night — I  cannot  be  exactly  sure  as  to  the 
exact  time,  because  I  had  failed  in  my  misery  to  count 
the  days  or  take  record  of  the  months — one  burning- 
hot  night  we  heard  the  sound  of  the  chopping  of  a  thou- 
sand axes  upon  Folly  Island.  In  spite  of  the  shelling  of 
the  Confederate  batteries,  this  sound  continued  all  night, 
and  the  next  morning  it  seemed  as  though  a  magician's 
wand  had  waved.  The  woods  in  our  front  across  the 
inlet  were  all  cut  down,  uncovering  to  us  a  long  line  of 
Federal  batteries,  crowned  with  artillery  and  heavily 
manned.  Between  these  and  the  Confederates  an  imme- 
diate cannonade  began,  which  continued  at  intervals  for 
nearly  a  week. 

At  the  end  of  this  time  four  low,  black-looking  vessels, 
each  one  bearing  upon  its  deck  a  single  black  turret, 
appeared  off  the  bar.  I  had  never  before  seen  any  ships 
like  them,  but  I  knew  they  were  monitors.  The  fortifica- 
tions were  now  as  nearly  complete  as  they  could  be  made 
under  the  heavy  fire  of  the  Federal  troops,  and  we  of  the 
shovel  were  all  marched  up  the  island  to  give  place  to 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  73 

those  who  used  the  musket,  in  the  form  of  gray  Confed- 
erate infantry. 

As  we  entered  the  bombproofs  of  Fort  Wagner,  I  could 
see  the  monitors  steaming  in  over  the  bar  and  taking 
up  a  position  north  of  the  southern  portion  of  Morris 
Island.  The  next  moment  a  tremendous  bombardment 
began.  Long  lines  of  barges,  towed  by  steam  launches 
or  propelled  by  oars,  shot  out  from  Folly  Island,  carrying 
some  thousands  of  troops.  Despite  the  Confederate 
fire,  which  cut  lanes  in  their  blue  ranks,  these  were 
landed  and  formed  upon  the  sandy  beach. 

This  cannonade  continued  while  we  were  driven  along 
the  island  to  Fort  Greig,  then  onto  boats,  and  ferried  over 
like  cattle  to  grim  old  Sumter,  to  work  on  its  fortifica- 
tions, now  beginning  to  disintegrate  under  the  Union 
guns. 

As  we  entered  the  fort,  I  gazed  at  Morris  Island. 
The  flag  of  the  United  States  was  flying  at  its  southern 
end,  over  the  batteries  upon  which  1  had  been  working 
the  day  before. 

The  Federal  forces  had  now  to  accomplish  the  most 
difficult  portion  of  their  work  :  that  was  the  capture  of 
Fort  Wagner.  Their  iron-clads  steamed  in,  and  for  thirty 
days  and  nights  rained  the  largest  projectiles  in  use  at 
that  time  upon  both  Sumter  and  this  sand  battery  that 
barred  their  passage  to  Charleston. 

During  this  time,  in  Sumter,  the  same  grinding  toil  fell 
upon  us.  We  labored  like  cattle,  dismounting  and  remov- 
ing guns,  filling  up  rents  and  fissures  in  the  fort's  granite 
walls  with  their  very  debris  knocked  about  us  by  Federal 
cannon — all  this  under  a  fire  that  was  simply  infernal. 
Like  the  galley  slaves  of  old,  we  toiled  and  died  without 
the  reward  of  soldiers'  gallantry  or  the  honor  of  soldiers' 
deaths.  We  had  ten  times  the  discomforts  and  twice  the 
danger  of  the  troops  in  the  garrison.  If  there  was  a 
scarcity  of  provisions,  whose  rations  were  cut  down  ? 
The  convicts'.  Were  the  bombproofs  full,  for  whom 
was  there  no  shelter  from  Federal  shot  and  shell  ?  The 
negroes  and  criminals.  By  this  time,  misery  had  made 
me  scarcely  human. 

This  continued  for  some  thirty  or  forty  days,  when 
one  morning  I  saw  the  Confederate  flag  was  not  flying 
upon  Wagner,  that  lay  in  full  view  from  Sumter,  across 


74  HOW    T    ESCAPED. 

the  channel.  Half  an  hour  afterward  the  stripes  and 
stars  were  hoisted  upon  it,  and  1  knew  the  southerners 
had  evacuated  Morris  Island. 

All  this  I  looked  upon  with  listless  interest,  until  1 
chanced  to  hear  a  conversation  between  two  Confederate 
officers.  One  said  :  "  Since  the  Yankee  army  has  got 
Wagner,  I  reckon  the  Yankee  fleet  will  try  to  get  us." 

"  Then,"  replied  the  other,  "  if  they  are  fools  enough 
for  that,  we'll  get  them  !  How  do  you  im.agine  they'll 
try  it  ?  " 

"  Boats,  of  course  !  "  muttered  the  other  ;  and  then  he 
cried  :  "  Look  out  !  That  was  a  nasty  one  !  "  as  a  shell 
from  one  of  the  monitors  knocked  over  a  ton  of  granite 
from  the  crumbling  wall  upon  a  working  party  on  the 
fort.  Under  this  lump  of  stone,  as  they  walked  away,  I 
could  see  two  or  three  writhing  bodies. 

These  words  had  set  my  brain  going  again.  If  the 
Federal  boats  made  an  attack,  even  if  driven  off,  I  might 
climb  out  of  one  of  the  casemates,  and  perhaps  escape  with 
them — if  they  captured  Sumter,  I  was  free  any  way. 

I  began  to  look  round  me  and  see  what  the  chances  of 
success  were.  The  preparations  made  for  the  defense 
against  such  an  attempt  made  me  know  it  could  not  suc- 
ceed. The  fort  had  been  battered  into  crumbling  ruins. 
No  heavy  guns  upon  its  battlements  were  in  condition 
to  be  fired  ;  but  in  these  ruins  were  bombproofs  impreg- 
nable to  either  bombardment  or  assault.  The  crumbling 
walls  could  still  support  light  field-pieces.  These  loaded 
with  grape  and  canister,  were  so  placed  as  to  sweep 
with  a  cross-fire  the  various  faces  of  the  fort.  Hand- 
grenades  were  piled  about  in  convenient  places.  The 
few  companies  of  artillery  that  had  garrisoned  the  fort 
during  its  bombardment  had  been  replaced  by  some  of 
Colquitt's  Georgia  infantry.  Muskets,  not  cannons,  were 
to  be  the  weapons  now  used  in  Fort  Sumter. 

I  continued  my  observations,  and  as  the  officers 
appeared  to  regard  me  more  as  a  machine  than  a  man, 
discovered  from  their  conversation  that  upon  a  signal  the 
batteries  of  Johnston,  Moultrie,  and  Sullivan's  Island  had 
all  been  trained  to  sweep  the  faces  of  Fort  Sumter,  the 
direction  and  elevation  of  their  guns  marked  and  noted 
so  that  they  could  fire  with  the  same  accuracy  of  range 
at  night  as  by  day. 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  75 

In  this  fire  no  boat  attack  could  succeed.  I  therefore 
made  my  arrangements  to  join  the  Federal  launches  in 
their  inevitable  retreat. 

For  this  purpose  I  selected  a  broken-down  embrasure, 
the  rubbish  from  which  ran  in  a  gradual  slope  to  the 
water.  It  was  easy  of  ascent  as  well  as  descent,  and 
would  be  sure  to  tempt  some  of  the  officers  of  the 
attacking  party  to  try  a  landing.  I  noted  that  no  gun 
could  easily  be  trained  upon  it.  Through  this  embra- 
sure I  would  join  the  Union  boats.  This  being  settled 
I  fell  to  waiting  for  the  night  that  I  hoped  would  give 
me  liberty. 

Notwithstanding  the  desperate  fatigue  and  labor  of 
the  day,  I  lay  awake,  all  the  night  after  I  had  heard  this 
conversation,  looking  for  the  Union  boats  ;  but  nothing 
came  save  an  occasional  shot  from  their  monitors. 

The  next  day  I  could  see  something  was  expected  to 
take  place.  The  hurried  manner  in  which  we  were 
worked,  filling  hand-grenades  and  placing  bags  of  sand 
about  many  of  the  embrasures  of  the  fort,  in  order  to 
prevent  musket-balls  or  grape-shot  frorii  the  Federal 
launches  entering  them,  all  told  this. 

As  the  evening  drew  on,  the  night  became  dark.  Then 
the  hail  from  boats  coming  down  Charleston  harbor  was 
heard,  and  a  reinforcement  of  some  hundred  more  of 
Colquitt's  Georgians  came  into  the  fort  accompanied  by 
several  officers  who  had  volunteered  for  this  night's 
particular  service.  Among  them,  I  thought  I  heard  the 
voice  of  my  friend  Bee,  but  was  unable  to  communicate 
with  him,  as  immediately  after  this  we  convicts,  together 
with  such  negroes  as  were  in  the  fort,  were  marched  under 
guard  to  a  distant  portion  of  the  works. 

All  this  told  me  that  by  some  means  General  Beaure- 
gard, who  commanded  the  fortifications  of  Charleston, 
was  aware  that  this  night  had  been  selected  for  the  boat 
attack. 

Sneaking  past  the  guard,  who  were  now  intent  only  upon 
noises  coming  from  the  sea,  I  crawled  to  the  embrasure 
I  had  selected,  and  looked  out  over  the  surface  of  the 
water.  Nothing  was  to  be  seen  save  a  few  sparks  of  fire 
ascending  lazily  into  the  air  some  miles  out  to  sea  from 
the  smokestack  of  one  of  the  Federal  vessels,  and  the 
low,  black   hull   of  a  Confederate   iron-clad  that   moved 


76  HOW    I    ESCAPED, 

slowly  past  me  to  take  a  position  some  half  mile  away, 
where  her  guns  could  cover  one  of  the  angles  of  the  for- 
tification. Despite  my  fatigue,  the  excitement  kept  my 
eyes  from  closing.  I  waited  and  watched  for  all  of  three 
hours,  but  about  this  time,  overcome  by  lack  of  sleep  my 
eyes  closed,  and  I  fell  into  an  uneasy  slumber. 

From  this  a  noise  that  seemed  to  shatter  my  ears  awak- 
ened me.  The  light  guns  of  the  fort  had  been  discharged, 
and  a  rolling  fire  of  musketry  was  pelting  bullets  through 
the  darkness  into  the  water  for  a  hundred  yards  or  more 
from  the  base  of  the  fort.  Suddenly  a  single  rocket  went 
into  the  air.  The  next  instant  the  faces  and  angles  of  the 
fort  were  swept  by  every  projectile  known  to  modern 
warfare.  The  Confederate  guns  on  Sullivan's  Island  had 
opened  on  us,  followed  immediately  by  Ripley,  Johnston 
and  the  Confederate  iron-clads.  Under  our  bombprcofs 
the  garrison  was  safe.  Heaven  defend  the  Union  boats 
outside  ! 

The  water  for  several  hundred  yards  about  became  a 
mass  of  foam  under  the  bursting  shells  and  solid  shot 
that  plowed  it  up.  Then,  by  the  light  of  an  exploding 
bomb,  for  the  first  time  I  discovered  the  Federal  boats 
dashing  toward  us  in  several  divisions.  As  they  entered 
the  fire,  some  of  the  barges  sank,  the  screams  of  their 
drowning  crews  arising  over  the  babel  of  sound.  Pelted 
by  musketry,  plowed  up  by  cannon  shot,  detachments  of 
these  boats  with  a  cheer  pulled  for  the  attack. 

One  division  headed  by  a  young  officer  came  straight 
for  the  embrasure  from  which  I  was  looking,  favoring 
the  sand-bags  that  protected  me  with  a  volley. 

As  they  approached,  hand-grenades  were  thrown  upon 
them  from  the  fort. 

The  Federal  officer  cried  :  "  That  casemate  is  our 
best  chance.  Give  way,  men  !  "  They  forced  their  boats 
up  on  the  scarp  and  debris  at  the  foot  of  my  embrasure. 
As  they  leaped  on  shore  a  solid  shot  from  Moultrie 
crashed  through  one  barge  and  a  bursting  hand-grenade 
tore  up  the  bottom  of  another.  I  sprang  out  to  join 
them,  and,  as  I  did  so,  a  bullet  from  the  officer's  revolver 
grazed  my  hand.  The  next  instant  the  boats  that  were 
following  him  were  either  destroyed  or  else  retreated  out 
to  sea, 

A  dropping  musketry  fire  from  the  battlements  above 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  77 

Struck  down  several  of  the  sailors  and  marines  about  him. 
The  launches  that  were  following  retreated  into  the  dark- 
ness. The  young  ofificer  looked  at  his  sinking  boats,  and 
saw  that  there  was  no  chance  for  success.  I  was  about 
to  beg  him  to  retreat,  and  to  tell  him  I  would  join  him, 
when  to  my  horror  and  astonishment,  he  handed  me  his 
sword  and  cried :  "  Tell  your  men  to  cease  firing  !  I 
am  here  unsupported.  To  save  my  men,  I  surrender  to 
you." 

Stunned  by  disappointment,  I  looked  at  the  white 
handkerchief  one  of  the  sailors  was  waving,  and  saw  the 
boats  in  which  the  Federals  had  come  sink  into  deep 
water  by  the  scarp  of  the  fort.  The  order  to  cease  firing 
was  given  above  ;  a  detachment  of  Confederate  infantry 
appeared  at  the  embrasure,  headed  by  my  friend  Bee. 

He  cried  out :  "  The  only  way  to  save  our  prisoners' 
lives  is  to  take  them  into  the  fort  !  "  For  the  shot  from 
Moultrie  and  the  Confederate  batteries  around  the  har- 
bor still  hailed  upon  the  outside  of  Sumter.  I  came  up 
first.  As  the  Federal  lieutenant  was  dragged  into  the 
embrasure  with  his  men,  he  said  to  Bee  :  "  I  cannot  give 
you  my  sword,  as  I  have  already  surrendered  it  to  one  of 
your  men,  a  very  gallant  fellow  who  attacked  us  single- 
handed  ;  but  if  I  had  had  support  from  the  rest  of  the 
boats — curse  'era  ! — I'd  have  fought  my  way  into  that 
embrasure  !  " 

The  next  instant  Bee  in  the  darkness  dragged  me 
along  to  the  commanding  officer  to  receive  a  reward  for 
my  gallantry. 

Almost  the  first  thing  I  recollect  after  this  was  stand- 
ing in  a  circle  of  Confederates,  and  hearing  Bee  say  : 
"  This  is  the  man  who,  single-handed,  attacked  the  Fed- 
eral boat's  crew  !  " 

Then  an  astonished  laugh  came  to  my  ears,  the  com- 
manding officer  saying  :  "  By  the  Lord  !  it's  a  convict 
that  has  done  all  this  !  Gallantry's  contagious.  Some  of 
our  slaves  will  soon  be  capturing  a  Yankee  regiment !  " 

Though  Bee  took  a  good  look  at  me  upon  this  speech, 
still  he  did  not  recognize  me. 

I  said  :  '•  Colonel  Bee,  I  am  a  convict,  but,  you  know, 
not  a  criminal,  though  compelled  to  labor  here  as  one  ;  " 
Then  I  turned  and  walked  sullenly  away,  and  joined  the 
gang  of  slaves  and  convicts  ;  for  the  cruel  disappoint- 


78  HOW    1    ESCAPED. 

ment  of  the  night  had  almost  maddened  me.  I  hated 
every  one  who  wore  the  Confederate  uniform. 

Half  an  hour  afterward  one  of  the  guards  touched  me 
on  the  shoulder,  and  said  :  "  Colonel  Bee  wishes  to  speak 
to  you." 

I  followed  him,  and  found  the  gallant  Georgian  about 
to  reembark  in  one  of  the  boats  that  were  taking  back  a 
portion  of  the  troops  to  Charleston. 

He  tcok  me  aside,  and  said  :  "  Did  you  really  attack 
the  Federal  sailors  ?  Do  you  now  intend  to  join  us  ?  If  so, 
I  can  report  this  to  the  commanding  officer,  and,  I  think, 
under  the  circumstances,  have  your  sentence  revoked." 

"  Does  this  imply  my  taking  the  oath  of  allegiance, 
and  joining  the  Confederate  army  ?  " 

"  Certainly." 

"Then  I  must  refuse." 

"  You  had  better  reconsider.  Your  lot  here  is  a  hard 
one,  for,  Heaven  knows  !  I  would  hardly  recognize  you 
— you  are  so  terribly  changed  !  " 

"You  need  not  take  any  trouble  on  my  account,"  I 
said.  "  I  do  not  intend  to  join  you.  I  did  not  attack 
the  United  States  sailors.  I  went  to  join  t/iem,  and  to 
attack  _>w/,  but  to  my  disappointment,  they  surrendered 
to  me." 

"  Very  well,"  said  Bee,  curtly,  after  a  little  laugh. 
"  If  you  won't  help  yourself,  I  can  do  nothing  more  for 
you  ! " 

He  turned  and  walked  to  the  boat,  never  looking  back. 

I  could  see  that  my  sullen  manner  had  irritated  the 
man  who  had  tried  to  be  my  friend  as  far  as  circum- 
stances permitted  him. 

Then  the  guard  took  me  again  to  the  wretched  hole  in 
which  we  convicts  and  slaves  were  herded.  I  lay  down, 
broken  in  mind,  broken  in  body,  broken  in  heart.  The 
chance  I  had  longed  for,  and  planned  for,  had  failed  me. 
I  was  still  a  prisoner,  doomed  to  slave  in  a  Confederate 
fort. 


BOOK    III. 
How  I   Won   Her. 

CHAPTER  X. 

SHE    CAME ! 

The  next  day  the  gang  of  laborers  with  which  I  worked 
was  moved  out  of  the  fort.  At  dusk,  to  avoid  the  Federal 
fire,  we  were  embarked  on  boats  towed  by  a  steam  tug 
up  Charleston  Harbor,  and  I  thought  we  were  going  to 
the  town  ;  but,  instead,  our  voyage  was  continued  to  a 
little  creek  called  ''Wappoo,"  that  empties  into  the  Ash- 
ley River,  opposite  the  city. 

Moving  up  this  as  far  as  boats  could  go,  we  were 
landed  and  marched  a  mile  or  two  that  night,  to  some 
sheds  evidently  prepared  for  us,  given  our  miserable 
rations  of  poor  corn  meal  and  poorer  bacon,  and  lay 
down  in  some  straw,  like  dogs  in  a  kennel,  to  sleep. 

Early  the  next  morning,  under  guard,  we  were  set  to 
work  on  some  fortifications  about  a  mile  from  Fort  Pem- 
berton,  on  Stono  River,  These  were  being  hurriedly 
completed.  Having  failed  in  the  reduction  of  Fort  Sum- 
ter, the  Union  forces  might  now  make  some  attempt  to 
come  to  Charleston,  via  Stono  River.  It  was  much  pleas- 
anter  here  than  on  the  sand  dunes  of  Morris  Island. 
There  was  running  water,  green  trees,  and  an  absence  of 
that  deafening  sound  that  came  upon  us  day  and  night 
from  the  Federal  guns.  Bad  as  it  was,  the  place  was  a 
great  improvement  upon  where  we  had  previously  worked. 
These  fortifications  were  not  heavy  earthworks,  like  those 
at  Wagner,  or  on  Morris  Island,  but  were  long  lines  of 
intrenchments  fitted  to  protect  an  infantry  force  in  the 
open  field,  though,  at  convenient  places,  batteries  were 


8o  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

erected  in  which  guns  could  be  placed  as  needed  to  resist 
any  Federal  advance. 

Curiously  enough,  my  health  under  these  circumstances 
became  better.  The  greenness  of  the  trees  pleased  me 
after  the  white  sand  dunes  of  Morris  Island.  The  run- 
ning water  sounded  sweetly  to  me,  and  I  became  stronger 
and  better  each  day.  I  had  grown  accustomed  to  hard- 
ship and  hard  fare.  Besides,  my  life  was  given  a  certain 
variety  by  the  number  of  people  I  saw  passing  along  the 
country  roads,  this  place  being  entirely  out  of  the  range 
of  Federal  guns.  Ladies,  even,  sometimes  passed  that 
way,  though  I  took  but  little  notice  of  them,  and  my  life 
was  monotonous  toil. 

I  was  awakened  from  this  monotony  by  a  sudden 
shock.  One  day,  laboring  on  an  earthwork  that  ran  close 
to  and  commanded  a  long,  yellow,  dusty  road,  I  heard 
the  sound  of  hoofs  upon  it.  Chancing  to  look  up,  my 
gaze  became  petrified  and  fixed  upon  four  figures  on 
horseback,  made  indistinct  by  a  surrounding  cloud  of 
dust.  One  was  a  red-headed  negro  ;  another  looked  like 
that  of  Bee  the  Georgian.  Then  cantered  behind  a 
youth  with  an  empty  sleeve,  and  last — her  form  !  For  a 
second  I  thought  myself  going  mad,  that  it  was  an  hallu- 
cination. 

But  her  face  became  more  and  more  distinct,  the  lovely 
eyes  grew  familiar  to  me,  and  her  voice  came  to  me. 
"  Arthur,  are  you  sure  this  is  the  right  way  ?  " 

At  these  words  existence  seemed  at  first  a  dream,  then 
floated  away.  The  shovel  fell  from  my  hand — the  earth 
seemed  to  strike  me. 

The  next  thing  I  remember  was  the  guard  saying  : 

"  Why,  the  poor  devil  must  have  got  a  sunstroke  !  He 
fell  down  just  as  you  come  up,  miss  !  " 

Then  Laura  Peyton's  voice  cried  :  "  Quick  !  Place 
him  by  this  spring.     The  water  will  revive  him  !  " 

I  opened  my  eyes,  and  found  myself  in  a  small  grove, 
through  which  a  pretty  little  stream  flowed  down  to  the 
swamp  that  bordered  Wappoo  Creek,  near  the  place  where 
I  had  been  working.  The  cold  water  revived  me.  I  lay 
upon  the  grass.  She  was  gazing  at  me  and  muttering 
"  Poor  fellow  !  "  but  there  was  no  recognition  in  her 
eyes.     Caucus  was  bathing  my  face  with  water. 

As  he  did  so,  the  negro  began  to  tremble  and  turn 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  8l 

dusky.    Though  he  said  nothing  aloud,  his  lips  muttered: 
"  Fo'  de  Lord  !  " 

A  moment  after  the  guard  said  :  "  Git  up  and  back  to 
work.     I  can't  wait  for  you  any  longer.     Git  up  !  " 

I  did  not  move.  I  would  have  died  before  I  left  her 
without  her  knowing  me. 

"  Git  up  !  "  and  the  fellow  would  have  kicked  me  had 
she  not  stepped  between  us. 

"  This  poor  creature  is  sick,  worn  out — can't  you  see 
it !  Are  your  eyes  not  human  ? "  she  said,  standing 
over  me  in  the  plain  homespun  dress  these  days  of  pro- 
longed war  had  brought  to  all  the  ladies  of  the  South. 

''  The  officers  are  inspecting  of  us.  I'm  responsible  for 
him  ;  he  must  come  with  me.  Git  up,  you  sneaking 
skunk  !  "  muttered  the  man.  "  Git  up  !  "  and  he  raised  his 
hand. 

"  Don't  you  dare  touch  him  ! "  she  cried.  "  My 
brother,  Captain  Peyton,  is  one  of  the  officers  inspecting 
you,  Colonel  Bee  the  other.  I'll  be  responsible  for  this 
man's  custody.  Can't  you  see  he's  too  weak  to  move  ? 
Go  back  to  your  duty  !  " 

"All  right,  miss,  if  you  say  so  !  "  muttered  the  man. 
Remember,  you'll  see  he  comes  back.  Don't  git  me  into 
the  guard-house  !  " 

"I'll  see  you  are  safe." 

"  Very  well,  miss,"  and  the  man  returned  to  the  in- 
trenchments. 

He  had  no  sooner  disappeared  in  the  trees  than  Cau- 
cus, whose  eyes  had  been  rolling  wildly,  suddenly  cried  : 
"  Fo'  de  Lord  !  Massa  Bryant !  "  and  fell  to  kissing  my 
hand,  while  she  who  had  been  gazing  at  me  with  a  look 
all  of  pity  and  naught  of  recognition,  suddenly  grew  pale 
and  gasped:  "  My  heaven  !  "  then  commenced  to  sob  and 
wring  her  hands,  and  would  have  flown  to  me. 

But  I  waved  her  off,  and  said  :  '*  Keep  away — don't 
touch  me.     The  filth  of  the  prison  is  on  me  !  " 

And  she  muttered,  "  I  don't  care  ! "  and  would  have 
soothed  me  with  pitying  tears,  but  as  she  came  toward  me 
she  stopped  and  shuddered,  looked  at  my  striped  dress,  hes- 
itated, turned  pale  and  gasped  :  "  Why, you  are  a  co?ivict !  " 

"Yes,    a  convict  for  loving    my  country — for  loving 
you  !     This  striped  dress  is  a  present  from  your  admirer 
—  Amos  Pierson's  influence  has  brought  me  to  this  \  " 
G 


82  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

"  Amos  Pierson  !  "  she  cried.  "  He  has  again  tried  to 
obtain  my  consent  to  marry  him.  It  was  reported  you 
were  dead,  as  you  had  gone  out  to  sea  in  a  blockade-run- 
ner, which  was  destroyed  by  Federal  vessels." 

''  Yes,  Amos  Pierson  !  "  said  I.  between  my  teeth, 
"Amos  Pierson  !  But,  thank  God  !  his  influence  has 
brought  me  back  to  South  Carolina — to  you  !  Laura, 
you  refused  him, — was  it  for  me  ?  Was  it  for  my 
sake  ?  Do  you  still,  in  spite  of  all,"  muttered  I,  for  the 
girl  was  panting  and  sobbing  in    a  way  that  gave  me 

hope,  "do  you  still "     I  looked  around.     Caucus  had 

disappeared.  "  Do  you  still,  in  spite  of  the  North  and 
the  South,  do  you  still  love  me  ? " 

She  said  nothing.  I  was  trembling  with  disappoint- 
ment, when  in  a  flash  she  turned  toward  me  and  held 
up  her  finger.  The  sunlight  through  the  treetops  illu- 
mined it,  and  I  saw  upon  it  the  engagement  ring  that 
she  had  dropped  upon  the  greensward  the  day  I  parted 
from  her  in  Columbia  six  months  before. 

Despite  the  rags  and  filth  that  covered  me,  I  would 
have  seized  her  in  my  arms,  but  at  this  moment  the 
bushes  that  lined  the  stream  were  parted  and  Stuart  Bee 
gazed  upon  us. 

As  he  looked,  a  grin  partly  of  astonishment,  partly  of 
good-nature,  ran  over  his  handsome  countenance.  He 
turned  hurriedly  back  and  I  heard  his  voice  saying  : 
"  Arthur,  your  sister  is  not  here.  We  must  look  for  her 
somewhere  else  !  " 

As  he  did  this,  the  sergeant  of  the  guard  forced  his  way 
through  the  brush,  crying  out  to  me  :  "  You  lazy  sneak, 
you  have  been  twenty  minutes  loafing  here  !  Back  to 
work,  at  once  !  " 

A  flash  of  rage  was  in  my  sweetheart's  face.  In  another 
moment  she  would  have  confronted  this  man,  her  brother 
would  have  heard  her,  and  there  would  have  been  a 
de'nouemejit  when  Bee  at  this  moment,  looking  over 
his  shoulder,  said  sternly  :  "  That  man  is  worn  out  with 
work.  Give  him  an  hour's  rest,  or  you  will  have  to  put 
him  in  the  hospital,  sergeant." 

"Very  well,  sir,"  replied  that  functionary,  touching  his 
cap.  "  He  has  generally  done  his  share,  and  I'll  be  easy 
on  him  this  time  !  " 

He    went    back  to    his   men.     I  could    hear    Bee  and 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  83 

Arthur  walk  off  to  their  horses.  Laura  and  I  were  alone 
together  once  more. 

''  Uo  you  know  that  officer  ?  "  she  suddenly  asked. 

"Who,  Stuart  Bee?"  replied  I.  "He  has  been  my 
only  friend." 

"  He  is  still  your  friend — our  friend,"  she  cried.  "  He 
must  have  planned  this  meeting  for  us.  He  it  was  who 
obtained  my  brother's  appointment  to  make  the  inspec- 
tion of  the  fortifications  here,  and  persuaded  me  to  come 
with  him." 

"  It  was  for  my  sake,  Laura  !  God  bless  him  !  "  I 
cried,  as  remorse  seized  me  for  the  words  I  had  uttered 
to  him  when  last  we  met  ;  "  but  we  will  not  be  long  un- 
interrupted.    I  must  say  all  I  have  to  very  quickly." 

I  told  her  my  adventures  that  had  brought  me  to  the 
state  in  which  she  saw  me  ;  this  very  rapidly,  and  only 
interrupted  by  sighs  of  sympathy  and  exclamations  of 
horror  from  Laura. 

When  it  was  over  she  said  :  "  Lawrence,  you  must  end 
this  martyrdom  at  once  !  " 

"  Yes,  by  perjuring  myself,  and  becoming  a  Confeder- 
ate soldier  !  " 

"  No — not  that  way  !  Though  I  am  a  southern  girl 

not  that  way  !  I  should  not  respect  you  if  you  took  that 
way  now." 

"  Then  how?  " 

"  I  can't  tell,  yet.  All  I  know  is,  that  I  could  not  exist 
thinking  of  you  as  I  see  you  now.  In  some  way  I  must 
save  you, — in  some  way  I  wi7/  save  you  !  " 

"■  You  love  me  ?  "  I  gasped. 

"  I'll  talk  of  nothing  now  but  how  to  save  you  !  " 

"  You  love  me  ?  "  I  begged. 

*'  I  hear  my  brother  calling  me  !  I  must  go,  or  he  will 
find  us  here  !  " 

"  You  love  me  ?  "  I  cried. 

"  Yes,  "  she  said.     "  I  love  you,  and  will  save  you  !  " 

I  seized  hex  hand  in  mine  and  pressed  my  parched,  hot, 
burning  lips  upon  it.  As  I  did  so,  both  a  tear  and  a  kiss 
fell  on  my  face. 

Arthur's  voice  was  heard  calling  :  "  Laura,  where  are 
you  ?  "  She  turned  from  me  and  ran  through  the  grove 
in  the  opposite  direction  to  the  road,  apparently  intend- 
ing to  come  out  at  some  distant  point  in  answer  to  her 


84  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

brother's  call.     Her  tears  had  unloosed  the  fountains  of 
my  heart  for  the  first  time  in  all  my  misery. 

Half  an  hour  afterward  1  staggered  out  to  the  line  of 
men,  shoveling  sand  upon  the  Confederate  earthworks. 
There  was  no  sign  of  either  her,  her  brother,  or  Caucus  ; 
still  I  shoveled  away  with  a  better  heart  than  I  had  ever 
had  before  in  the  rebel  trenches,  for  I  had  faith  in  the 
woman  I  loved  fulfilling  her  promise  and  finding  for  me 
a  way  to  freedom. 


CHAPTER  Xr. 

THE    RED-HEADED    NEGRO. 

For  two  days  I  waited.  On  the  morning  of  the  third, 
as  we  were  being  routed  out  to  our  work,  I  thought  I 
heard  a  familiar  negro  voice. 

The  next  moment  the  sergeant  of  the  guard  said  : 
"  Hello,  here's  a  disobedient  nigger  !  To  work  in  the 
trenches  for  punishment,  eh  ?  You  red-headed  rascal, 
I'll  take  the  spunk  out  of  you  !  " 

"  Fo'  de  Lord  !  go  easy  on  me,  massa  !  " 

No  one  took  any  interest  in  this  matter,  as  it  was  a 
common  habit  of  planters  in  the  neighborhood  to  aid  the 
Confederate  cause  by  donating  to  it  the  labor  of  their 
insubordinate  slaves  ;  as  for  me,  it  filled  me  with  hope. 
For  the  negro  sent  to  work  in  the  trenches  was  Caucus, 
and  I  guessed  he  had  some  communication  for  me. 
Unfortunately,  however,  he  was  told  off  to  work  on  a 
different  part  of  the  fortifications,  and  I  got  no  chance  to 
comm.unicate  with  him  until  night.  Our  sleeping  arrange- 
ments were  very  primitive.  We  lay  down  in  a  long  shed 
in  any  part  that  was  convenient,  the  guard  giving  but 
little  attention,  except  to  see  that  we  did  not  escape  ; 
consequently  I  soon  worked  myself  alongside  the  red- 
headed negro.  He  seemed  at  first  in  almost  too  much 
trouble  to  speak  to  me. 

In  answer  to  my  inquiries,  he  only  muttered  :  "  Golly, 
if  I  knowed  dis,  I'd  never  no  way  come  heah.  Dey 
worked  de  life  out  o'  me  to-day,  an'  dis  grub  ain't  fit 
for  a  buzzard  to  chew  !  " 

*'  You  have  something  to  tell  me  ?  " 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  85 

"  Yas  ;  but  de  sergeant  said  he'd  tie  me  up  by  de 
thumbs " 

"  Speak — quick  !     What  message  have  you  for  me  ?  " 

"  Well,  jes'  let  me  get  de  aches  out  of  my  arms  an' 
legs.  Lord,  how  dey  worked  me  !  It  ain't  possible  you 
libed  six  months  in  dis  kind  of  way,  Massa  Bryant  !  " 

"  That  is  the  reason  I  want  to  get  out  of  it.  Quick  ! 
what  communication  have  you  for  me  ?  " 

"  Well,"  he  said,  "  don't  I  want  to  get  out  ob  it  quick  too? 
De  missus  sent  you  dis,"  and  he  handed  me  a  little  packet. 

Watching  my  opportunity  I  read  the  note.  It  was  simply, 

"Do  as  Caucus  tells  you." 

Besides  this,  the  packet  contained  the  same  identical 
roll  of  greenbacks  I  had  sent  my  sweetheart  and  asked 
her  to  use  on  my  leaving  Columbia. 

"  Your  mistress  says,"  I  whispered  to  him,  "  I  am  to 
do  as  you  tell  me. — What  am  I  to  do  ?  " 

"  Get  out  of  heah,  quick.  I'se  got  a  boat  ready  to 
take  you  down  de  Stono  ribber  to  de  Yanks." 

"  But  how  are  we  to  get  out  of  here  ? " 

"  Well,  dat's  what  you  got  to  find  out.  If  I'd  a  knowed 
what  it  was,  I'd  neber  hab  come  myself,  do'  she'd  begged 
me  on  her  shins  for  an  hour;  but  you  mustget  out  to-night." 

Get  out  to-night !     The  proposition  was  a  sudden  one. 

Get  out  to-night  without  having  a  bullet  put  through 
my  body  ?  As  I  looked  at  the  line  of  Confederate  sen- 
tries, with  their  loaded  muskets,  that  prevented  any 
escape  of  the  negroes  or  convicts,  the  proposition 
seemed  an  absuid  one. 

I  had  never  before  thought  of  escaping  from  the 
guards,  because,  without  friends  and  without  money,  it 
had  always  seemed  to  me  an  impossibility  to  reach  the 
Union  lines  ;  but  now,  as  I  reflected  on  the  matter,  my 
views  suddenly  changed. 

The  nights  had  been  growing  colder  and  colder,  as 
we  were  now  getting  well  into  the  month  of  November. 
Large  camp  fires  each  evening  were  built  for  the  comfort 
of  the  guard.  The  wood  for  these  had  been  brought 
every  day  by  a  detail  under  guard  ;  but  to-day,  for  some 
reason,  this  had  been  omitted  or  forgotten.  I'he  stock 
of  fuel  was  not  sufficient  for  the  night's  use. 

At  the  very  moment  I  was  planning  escape,  I  heard  the 


86  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

sergeant  directing  some  of  his  men  to  take  a  few  of 
the  laborers  and  get  in  a  supply  for  the  night.  The 
soldiers,  not  wishing  to  take  too  much  trouble,  roused 
up  and  ordered  out  those  of  the  prisoners  nearest  the 
door  of  the  shed. 

I  whispered  to  Caucus  to  get  up,  come  with  me,  and 
join  the  gang. 

"  I  can't ;  I's  too  tired.  Doan  want  no  more  work  to- 
day.    Ts  neber  been  used  to  de  life  ob  a  field  hand." 

''  Come  with  me,  if  you  want  to  get  out  of  here  to- 
night. The  sergeant  '11  tie  you  up  by  the  thumbs  to-mor- 
row," I  whispered  in  his  ear,  supplementing  my  argu- 
ment with  a  vigorous  kick,  for  I  was  thoroughly  enraged 
at  Caucus'  indifference. 

With  a  grunt,  partly  of  rage  and  partly  of  pain,  he  got 
up  and  followed  me. 

We  soon  found  ourselves  in  the  v/ood  squad  guarded 
by  three  or  four  Confederate  soldiers  with  loaded  muskets, 
and  marched  off  to  some  neighboring  timber.  I  whispered 
to  Caucus  to  keep  close  to  me,  whatever  else  he  did. 

Fortunately  for  us,  the  timber  was  quite  thick  about 
here,  and  we  were  ordered  to  spread  through  it  and  get 
the  wood  which  had  already  been  cut  down  and  piled  in 
various  places.  This  we  were  to  bring  to  a  place  indicated 
for  our  meeting  just  out  in  the  open  ground.  We  were 
divided  into  three  gangs,  a  Confederate  soldier  with  a 
loaded  gun  going  with  each  one  of  these  ;  the  fourth,  a 
corporal,  remaining  at  the  place  to  which  we  were  told  to 
bring  the  wood. 

In  the  undergrowth  at  night  it  was  a  difficult  matter 
for  one  man  to  keep  his  eye  on  three  or  four,  and  watch- 
ing my  opportunity  I  gave  Caucus  a  signal,  then  dropped 
down  into  the  thick  foliage,  and  crawled  on  my  hands 
and  knees  followed  by  the  negro. 

I  felt  pretty  sure  that  our  absence  would  not  be  noticed 
until  the  gangs  had  brought  the  wood  to  the  place  of 
meeting.  That  would  give  us  at  least  twenty  minutes'  start 
of  any  pursuit. 

As  I  crawled  along  followed  by  Caucus,  I  asked  him  : 
*'•  What  route  are  we  to  take  to  your  boat  on  the  Stono 
River  ? " 

His  reply  astonished  me.  He  said  :  "  Golly  !  Ts  too 
tired  to  go  dar  now.     It's  more'n  a  mile  away." 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  87 

"  Look  here,"  I  said,  "  if  they  catch  us,  you  will  be  shot 
as  well  as  I." 

"Golly!  do  you  link  dey'll  shoot  vicV 

"  I  know  they  will." 

"  Den  dey's  got  to  cotch  me  fust !  "  and  from  this  time 
on  the  vigor  of  the  negro  astounded  me. 

He  started  off  through  the  brushwood  at  a  pace  that 
made  it  difficult  for  me  to  keep  up  with  him. 

After  about  five  minutes  more  of  this  travel,  we  entered 
the  swamp  that  borders  Wappoo  Creek.  We  did  this  none 
too  soon,  for  at  this  moment  the  firing  of  the  guard 
indicated  that  our  escape  had  been  noticed. 

Following  Caucus  by  a  path  that  he  apparently  knew, 
even  on  this  dark  night,  I  passed  along  the  swamp  going 
up  the  Wappoo  Creek.  We  heard  nothing  of  pursuit. 
At  night  it  would  have  been  impossible  for  them  to  fol- 
low us  without  the  aid  of  dogs,  which  I  presumed  they 
would  get  as  soon  as  possible. 

Following  the  creek  for  about  a  mile  and  a  half,  we 
came  upon  a  place  where  there  was  not  more  than  three 
or  four  hundred  yards  of  open  ground  to  the  Stono 
River.  This  was  about  half  a  mile  above  Fort  Pember- 
ton.  Peering  cautiously  out  of  the  undergrowth  of  the 
swamp  in  the  direction  of  the  river,  we  found  no  one 
moving  and  no  guards  set,  the  river  above  the  fort  being 
considered  perfectly  safe  from  any  boat  attack  of  the 
Federals.  Crossing  this  ground  hurriedly,  we  descended 
to  the  river,  and  there  found  a  light  skiff  that  Caucus 
had  moored  at  the  spot  for  this  emergency.  In  it  was  a 
suit  of  decent  clothing  for  me,  and  some  simple  but 
wholesome  food,  the  first  I  had  tasted  for  months.  I 
immediately  threw  off  the  convict  suit  I  wore,  and 
donned  the  clothes  while  Caucus  was  pulling  the  skiff 
into  mid-stream  In  the  pocket  of  the  coat  I  found  a 
loaded  revolver. 

"  Who  sent  them  for  me.  Caucus  ? "  I  whispered. 

"  Miss  Laura.  She's  been  tinkin'  ob  you  and  wringing 
her  hands  ober  you  for  de  las  two  days.  She's  had  red 
eyes,  sah  ;  powerful  red  eyes,  Massa  Bryant." 

These  words  added  strength  to  a  resolution  I  had 
already  made. 

While  this  was  going  on.  Caucus  had  turned  the  boat 
down-stream  and  we   were  gliding  toward  the   Federal 


88  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

gun-boats,  some  five  miles  distant.  We  had  already 
reached  a  point  in  the  river  only  a  few  hundred  yards 
above  Fort  Pemberton. 

"  Where  is  your  mistress  ?  "  whispered  I. 

"  Miss  Laura  ?  " 

"  Certainly  !  " 

"  Oh,  she's  a  mile  or  two  up  de  ribber  stopping  wid 
Judge  Elliott's  family.  Her  brudder's  stoppin'  dar,  too. 
He's  looking  after  diggin'  up  some  forts  near  heah.  I's 
to  go  back  and  'port  to  her  when  I's  got  you  safe  down 
de  ribber  to  de  Yanks." 

"Very  well,"  said  I.  "I  must  see  her  before  I  go. 
Turn  the  boat  up-stream  !  " 

'•  No,  sah.     I  ain't  nebber  goin'  up  dis  stream  agin  !  " 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  I  means  when  I  gits  to  de  Yanks  I's  a-gwine  to  stay 
dar.     I's  bound  to  be  free  like  you  is,  sah." 

"  Then  you  are  not  going  to  return  to  your  mistress  ?  " 

"  No,  sah.     If  I  once  get  to  de  Yanks,  I  stays." 

"  Turn  that  boat  up-stream  !  I  must — I  will  see  her 
before  I  go."  I  seized  the  tiller  to  change  the  direction 
of  the  little  craft.  • 

"  Dis  boat  don't  go  up-stream  wid  me  in  it  !  I's 
gwine  to  be  free  !  " 

"  Look  here.  Caucus,"  I  said,  "  there's  no  use  of  your 
arguing  with  me  or  acting  in  that  way  ;"  for  the  black 
had  raised  his  oar  threateningly.  "  I  am  going  up  that 
river  to  see  Laura  Peyton,  and  you  have  got  to  go  with  me." 

"  Nebber  !  " 

''  Then  I've  got  to  go  without  you  !  "  and  I  clapped 
my  revolver  to  his  head. 

"  You  ain't  gwine  to  kill  me  ?  "  he  gasped. 

"  Not  if  you  do  as  I  say,  but  if  you  make  any  disturb- 
ance here  now,  I  will  !  " 

By  this  time  the  boat  had  floated  almost  opposite  the 
fort. 

"  If  you  want  to  get  out,  you  can  do  so  after  we  have 
got  up-stream  a  little  way,  but  we  must  go  back  first. 
It  is  too  late  to  do  anything  else,"  I  whispered,  as  I  saw 
two  patrol  boats  moving  about  down  the  river  opposite 
the  fort.  "  You  see  they  know  of  our  escape.  We  never 
could  pass  between  them." 

Fortunately    during    this   conversation    we    had    been 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  »9 

drifted  by  an  eddy  under  the  shadow  of  the  bank  and 
the  patrol  boats  did  not  see  us.  The  wind  was  blowing 
up-stream,  and  they  could  not  hear  us.  Urged  by  my 
revolver,  and  perhaps  by  his  fears,  Caucus  turned  the 
boat  about  and  rowed  slowly  up  the  river  away  from  the 
Federal  gunboats  for  which  he  longed. 

"  Look  heah,"  he  said,  "  it's  sartin  death  for  you  to 
go  up  dar.     If  de  rebs  cotch  you,  whar  am  you  ? " 

"  I  am  going  to  see  her  before  I  go." 

"  Golly,  you's  gone  mad,  you  has,  sah  !  You  dunno 
what  you's  doin'.  If  de  rebs  cotch  you,  you's  a  goner, 
and  de  Yankee  gunboats  ain't  but  few  miles  away,  I 
reckon  dey  ain't  so  much,  sah." 

"  Pull  ahead  !  " 

1  cocked  the  revolver,  and  Caucus  said  no  more  for 
some  time  save  an  occasional  ejaculation  of  "  Fo'  de 
Lord,  you  has  gone  crazy  !  "  or  some  similar  expression 
of  astonished  horror  and  disgust. 

"  Row  quicker  !  "  said  I,  sternly,  whenever  he  relaxed 
his  efforts,  and  in  about  an  hour  we  rounded  a  bend  in 
the  stream  upon  the  bank  of  which  I  could  see  lights, 
apparently  from  a  house. 

"  Dat's  de  place,  sah  !  " 

*'  Where  she  is  ? " 

"  Yes,  sah  !  " 

As  the  boat  drew  up  at  the  bank,  I  said,  "  Go  into  the 
house  quickly,  and  tell  her  I  am  here.  Don't  you  alarm 
the  family,  for  the  Elliotts  are  southerners  to  the  back- 
bone, and  if  this  comes  out,  it  means  the  whipping-post 
for  you,  as  well  as  imprisonment  for  me." 

"  I  knows  dat,  sah.  Golly  !  I  tink  you  treat  pretty 
hard  dis  boy  who  helped  you  to  'scape." 

*•  Tell  her  quickly,"  said  I,  "and  when  this  is  over, 
Caucus,  I  will  make  your  disappointment  up  to  you  in 
some  way.  You  know  I  was  kind  to  you  before.  Be 
faithful  to  me,  and  I  will  be  so  again." 

"  All  right,  sah,"  said  the  volatile  black,  with  a  grin. 
*'  I's  bound  to  get  free  dis  trip,  somehow,  an'  I  s'pose  I 
can  put  it  off  for  a  day  or  two." 

With  that  he  stole  up  one  of  the  paths  leading  through 
the  garden  to  a  pretty  cottage  erected  upon  the  banks  of 
the  stream,  while  I  impatiently  and  anxiously  placed 
myself  in  the  shadow  of  some  trees  to  wait  as  well  as  I 


90  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

could  for  the  coming  of  the  being  for  whom  I  had  risked 
so  much, 

A  few  moments  after  this  she  was  by  my  side  with  im- 
patient words,  almost  reproaches.  "  For  God's  sake, 
Lawrence  ! — you  may  never  escape  now  !  Why  didn't 
you  go  ? " 

"  Because  I  love  you." 

''  Yes  ;  but  think  how  unhappy  you  make  me.  If  you 
are  taken  again,  they  will  perhaps  /'///  you  !  " 

"  To  win  you  I  would  risk  anything  !  " 

"  But  you  cannot  win  me  if  you  die." 

"  I  will  win  you  before  !  " 

"  For  heaven's  sake,  leave  me  !  Take  the  boat  and  go 
down  the  river." 

''That  is  an  impossibility  now,"  said  I.  "The  Con- 
federate patrol  boats  are  on  the  alert.  Every  picket 
between  here  and  the  Federal  lines  knows  that  we  have 
escaped,"  for  at  that  moment  I  heard  the  booming  of  a 
gun  down  the  river. 

"  You  can  go.    You  must  go  !  " 

''I  will  not  go.      I  came  here  deliberately." 

"  And  why  ?  " 

"  To  win  you  !  " 

"  Win  me  ! — what  do  you  mean  ?" 

"  I  mean  this,"  said  I.  "  If  you  love  me,  you  would  wish 
to  save  my  life." 

"  I  cannot  save  it  if  you  do  not  leave  South  Carolina." 

"  I  will  never  leave  South  Carolina  until  you  are  my 
wife.  I  made  that  resolution  six  months  ago.  when  I  was 
forced  back  into  this  State.  Providence  brought  me 
back  to  be  your  husband." 

"  This  is  madness  !  " 

"  Laura,  you  must  love  me,  after  what  you  have  done 
for  me.  For  God's  sake,  do  the  only  thing  that  will  make 
me  wish  to  save  my  liie—7/iarry  me  now  !  " 

The  astonished  girl  panted  at  this,  and  in  a  sort  of  des- 
perate frenzy,  I  seized  her  in  my  arms  and  supplemented 
my  peculiar  wooing  with  all  the  kisses  and  endearments 
that  I  had  hoarded  up  for  the  girl  in  my  imagination  dur- 
ing the  long  time  I  had  been  parted  from  her. 

"  For  Heaven's  sake  have  mercy  upon  me  !  Think  of 
what  my  friends,  my  family,  would  say  to  my  marrying 
you  in  this  way." 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  9I 

"  For  my  sake,  have  mercy  upon  me  !  Think  of  what 
my  misery  will  be  if  I  leave  this  place  fearing  I  have 
lost  you." 

"  We  cannot  be  married  to-night." 

"  Before  I  fly  from  South  Carolina,  we  must  be,"  I 
muttered,  the  sudden  joy  of  knowing  that  I  had  won  her 
coming  to  me  with  her  words. 

"  For  my  sake,  leave  me  !  You  will  be  captured  !  My 
heavens  !  they  are  coming  now  !  " 

The  girl  panted  and  clung  to  me  while  I  listened,  and 
through  the  darkness  of  the  night  heard  the  sound  of 
cavalry  and  the  clanking  of  sabers. 

*'  Conceal  yourself,  for  my  sake  !  "  she  begged. 

"  Not  unless  you  promise  to  be  mine." 

"  And  if  not !  " 

"  They'll  find  me  here, — I  don't  care  what  becomes  of 
me  !  " 

"  You  are  mad  !  " 

"Yes,  mad  enough  to  do  this." 

"  Quick  !     You  won't  have  time, — let  me  hide  you  !  " 

"  Do  you  promise  ?  " 

"  Yes  !     Anything  to  save  your  life  !     Come  !  " 

She  glided  up  the  pathway,  I  followed  her  silently. 
I  knew  that  I  had  conquered— that  Laura  Peyton's 
promise  was  her  bond. 

"  This  way  !  "  She  passed  around  one  of  the  out- 
buildings, and  coming  to  the  barn,  she  led  me  into 
an  old  deserted  portion  of  it,  filled,  as  well  as  I  could 
discover  in  the  gloom,  with  rice  seed  and  sacks  for  hold- 
ing the  same. 

"  Conceal  yourself  between  these  !  I  will  send  Caucus 
to  look  after  you." 

"  By  this  kiss,  remember  your  promise  !  " 

She  tore  herself  from  me  and  left  the  place. 

I  could  hear  the  Confederate  soldiers  outside  ques- 
tioning the  family  if  they  had  seen  about  there  a  white 
escaped  convict  and  a  red-headed  negro. 

Next  I  heard  Caucus'  voice.  "  Golly,  I  'specks  I's 
de  only  red-headed  nigger  'round  dese  parts  !  " 

"  Well,"  laughed  the  officer  of  the  cavalry,  ''if  you 
meet  your  twin  brother,  arrest  him  and  we'll  give  a  reward 
for  him." 

"  How  much  reward  ?  "  said  Caucus. 


92  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

"  Well,  perhaps  a  hundred  dollars." 

''Say,  you  make  it  a  thousand,  and  I'll  delibber  myselt 
up  for  him,"  laughed  Caucus,  as  the  patrol  rode  away. 

After  a  few  minutes,  the  astonished  exclamations  and 
hearty  laughter  of  the  Elliotts  at  the  wit  of  Caucus  died 
away.  I  could  tell  from  the  voices  that  they  were  all 
women,  young  Arthur  Peyton  and  the  men  of  the  house 
being  off  on  duty  at  this  time. 

Half  an  hour  or  so  after  this  Caucus  came  to  me,  but 
in  a  very  surly  mood,  and  gave  me  a  very  stale  piece  of 
corn  bread  and  a  by-no-means  succulent  sweet  potato. 

"Why  didn't  you  bring  better  ?  "  asked  I. 

*'  Cuss  you  ! "  replied  Caucus.  "  Do  you  tink  I's 
gwine  to  give  you  a  good  meal  after  you  robbed  me  of 
my  liberty  ?  What  am  I  now  ?  A  slabe  !  But  for  yous 
I'd  have  been  a  free  man  an'  a  Caucussion  !  Heah's 
someting  else,  sah  !  "     He  handed  me  a  scrap  of  paper. 

"  How  am  I  to  read  this  without  any  light  ? " 

"  Come  wid  me  !  " 

I  followed  Caucus  to  an  old  cabin,  perhaps  two  hun- 
dred yards  from  the  house.  It  was  near  the  bank  of  the 
river  where  our  boat  was  moored.  Here  the  negro  soon 
lighted  a  tallow  dip.  By  its  light  I  saw  Laura  Peyton's 
well-remembered  handwriting.      It  said  : 

"  Darling  :  I  dare  not  visit  you  now,  but  will  take  the  first  oppor- 
tunity as  soon  as  the  family  are  asleep — perhaps  in  half  an  hour.  Was 
it  noi  a  little  ungenerous,  dear  one.  to  take  advantage  of  my  fears 
for  you  ?  Could  you  not  see  that  it  would  have  broken  my  heart  if 
anything  had  happened  to  yon  ?  That  was  the  reason  I  gave  you  my 
promise  ;  but  I  will  keep  it  if  you  will  keep  yours,  and  try  to  fly  to 
safety." 

If  the  delicate  and  maidenly  reproach  in  the  letter 
made  me  feel  that  I  had  not  treated  my  sweetheart  gen- 
erously, the  thought  that  I  had  won  her  obliterated  it 
with  joy. 

A  movement  of  the  negro's  attracted  my  attention.  In 
the  uncertain  light  I  could  see  he  still  eyed  me  in  a  very 
sullen  manner.  I  knew  he  had  not  forgiven  me  for  bring- 
ing him  back  to  slavery.  If  he  betrayed  me,  there  was 
an  end  to  every  hope. 

'•Caucus,"  said  I,  "you  don't  seem  to  like  me  as  you 
used  to." 

"  No,  I's  cussed  if  I  does  !  " 


HOW    I   ESCAPED.  93 

"Here's  twenty  dollars."  I  took  this  out  of  my  hoard 
of  greenbacks  that  Laura  had  returned  to  me. 

"  I  don't  want  no  money  from  you,  Massa  Bryant,"  he 
said,  savagely,  though  he  eyed  the  greenback  in  a  greedy 
way. 

"  Oh,  yes,  you  do.  Caucus,"  said  I  ;  '*  you  want  it  to 
hire  a  minister." 

*'■  Hire  a  ?>n?iister  !  What  for?  To  bury  us  when  de 
rebs  catch  us?  " 

"  No,"  I  said,  "  to  hire  a  minister  to  marry  me." 

*'  Marry  you  ?     Who  you  marry  ?  " 

"  Can't  you  guess,  Caucus  ?  "  said  I, 

"  Golly  !  not  Miss  Laura  ?  Dat's  what  you  wanted  to 
come  back  for  ?  " 

"Yes,"  I  replied,  "otherwise  we  would  now  both  be 
free  together.  I  have  come  back  to  marry  your  mis- 
tress." 

"  Fo'  de  Lord  !  Dat's  what  you  brought  me  back  for  ?  " 
said  Caucus,  a  grim  smile  lighting  up  his  dusky  features. 
"Well,  den  !  If  Miss  Laura  marries  yous,  I  forgive  yous. 
Great  gosh  !  How  de  Peytons  will  cuss  !  "  His  grin 
changed  into  a  guffaw. 

"  Then,"  replied  I,  "  I  will  soon  be  in  your  good  graces 
again.      I  will  soon  marry  your  mistress." 

"  Golly,  dar's  fun  ahead  ob  us  !  Fo'  de  Lord,  you's 
cute  as  a  coon  ! "  and  the  negro  gave  another  wild 
chuckle. 

I  did  not  answer  this.  My  thoughts  had  taken  another 
turn.  How  was  I  to  get  a  minister  to  make  me  the  hus- 
band of  Laura  Peyton,  unknown  to  her  family,  in  a  land 
where  civil  war  made  every  one  suspicious  ? 

How  was  I,  a  fugitive,  to  do  this  ? 


CHAPTER   XIL 

THE    HONEYMOON    IN    THE    BLUE    RIDGE. 

These  thoughts  rapidly  todx  my  mind  to  my  promised 
bride,  her  beauty,  her  love — now  all  mine  again.  For  a 
moment  I  was  in  heaven.     The  next  instant  I  was   on 


94  HOW    1    ESCAPED. 

earth.     The  negro's  hand  was  on  my  arm.     He  muttered, 
"  Hist  !  " 

We  both  h'stened.  Some  one  was  apparently,  from  the 
noise,  examining  the  boat  that  had  brought  us  up  the  river. 

"  I'll  see  what  dey's  up  to  !  "  whispered  Caucus,  and 
he  stole  from  the  cabin,  while  I  examined  my  revolver 
to  be  sure  it  was  in  condition  for  service. 

With  it,  the  forethought  of  my  sweetheart  had  provided 
a  little  extra  ammunition. 

For  fear  the  dampness  had  affected  the  priming,  for 
some  drops  of  water  might  have  got  on  it  when  1  had  the 
trouble  with  Caucus  on  the  river,  I  carefully  placed  a 
little  fresh  powder  in  each  of  its  six  nipples,  and  re-capped 
the  cylinder.  To  do  this  I  had  to  turn  my  back  to  the 
door  in  order  to  get  the  light  from  the  candle. 

I  was  just  finishing  this  when  I  heard  a  chuckle,  and 
looking  over  my  shoulder,  saw  a  man  standing  in  the  door- 
way of  the  cabin.  To  my  sorrow,  I  recognized  him.  He 
was  Pete  Bassett,  the  Confederate  detecdve. 

"  Wal  !  "  remarked  he,  with  a  grin,  "  this  is  exhilarat- 
ing as  whisky  !  To  meet  you  agin.  Mister  Bryant !  I  heard 
in  Charleston  four  hours  ago  that  you  had  cut  out. 
Thar  was  a  standing  reward  from  a  particular  friend  of 
yours  to  keep  an  eye  on  you,  and  I  come  after  it." 

"  How  did  you  discover  me  ?  "  murmured  I, -capping  the 
last  nipple  of  the  cylinder. 

"Why,  by  instinct  !  I  knew  the  gal  was  staying  up  har. 
I  came  and  nosed  around.  I  reckon'd  if  you  tried  to  get 
down  the  river,  our  picket  boats  would  have  nipped  you. 
So  when  I  discovered  that  ar  skiff  had  been  out  to-night 
and  evacuated  in  a  hurry  by  the  oars  left  in  it,  I  calculated 
I'd  nabbed  you  again.  So  come  along  !  "  and  he  would 
have  approached  me. 

"Stand  where  you  are  !  " 

"  Notby  a  darned  sight !  " 

'  Stand  !  "     I  covered  him  with  the  cocked  pistol. 

"  Crackey,  I  didn't  know  you  were  heeled!  "  He  paused, 
astounded.  Then  he  began  :  "  Now,  Mr.  Bryant,  you'd 
better  take  that  thing  down.  You  know  you  can't  get  out 
of  this  place,  nohow.  I'll  go  easy  on  you.  I'll — if  you 
put  that  cursed  thing  dowift-I'll  let  you  go,  I'll  only  take 
in  that  red-headed  nigger  !  That'll  stop  the  talk.  Lord  ! 
won't  they  give  it  to  that  saffron-skulled  darkey  !  "  and 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  gc 

the  detective  gave  a  hideous  chuckle  to  try  and  throw 
me  off  my  guard. 

As  he  did  so,  a  more  hideous  and  awful  chuckle  came 
from  behmd  him.  Bassett's  laugh  closed  with  a  gurgle 
With  a  smothered  cry,  he  fell  senseless  at  my  feet,  and 
over  him  with  a  pick-handle  that  would  have  felled  an  ox 
stood  Caucus. 

"Wonder  if  dat  smash  his  head  in.  Call  me  saifron 
sku  led.  D-n  him  !  "  and  before  I  could  interpose, 
another  dreadful  blow  fell  upon  the  head  of  the  senseless 
Bassett. 

I  jumped  forward  and  caught  Caucus'  upraised  hand 
and  not  without  difficulty  restrained  him,  for  the  negro's 
eyes  had  become  bloodshot  and  his  nostrils  dilated  with 
the  scent  of  gore.  The  black  was  going  back  to  his  bar- 
barous instincts.  The  meek  slave  was  becoming  like  what 
he  had  sprung  from,  a  Zulu  warrior. 

';  What  we  does  wid  him  ?  "  he  asked,  showing  his 
white  teeth.  "Finish  him  up,  and  chuck  him  in  de 
ribber  ? 

*'  No,  no  ;  no  murder  !  " 

''  If  we  not  fix  him,  he  fix  us.  His  life  or  ours  If  de 
rebs  cotch  us  now,  we's  gwine  in  !  " 

^'- 1  know  that,  but  I  don't  wish  to  kill  him." 
*'  He  nearly  dead  now.     It  no  hurt  him.   Why  not  ?    If 
we  don  t   git   him  out  ob  de  way,  what  become  of  us, 
Massa  Bryant  ?  ' 

"  That's  true,"  I  replied.  "  We  will  get  him  out  of  the 
way,  and  I II  show  you  how."  For  an  idea  had  just  come 
to  me  by  which  we  might  be  relieved  of  the  presence  of 
Mr.  Bassett.  "We'll  take  most  of  his  clothes  off  •  he'll 
hardly  be  known  by  the  rest  if  the  rebels  pick  him  un  I 
suppose  none  of  the  pickets  down  at  Fort  Pemberton 
know  him  personally.  If  they  do,  he  won't  be  in  a  condi- 
tion to  tell  em  anything,  for  a  week  or  so.  If  he  crets  past 
them,  the  Federal  gunboats  '11  take  care  of  him  to  the 
end  of  the  war." 

T  u  "^^f  ^?''  "'^''"  ^°  ^°  •  "  ^s'^ed  the  black  eagerly,  for 
I  had  already  pulled  the  coat  and  vest  off  Mr  Bassett 
and  was  examining  his  linen.  This  I  was  relieved  to  find 
was  in  no  very  good  shape,  as  rtigards  either  cleanliness 
or  condition,  and  bore  no  marks  by  which  he  could  be 
recognized. 


96  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

"  I'm  going  to  put  him  adrift  in  the  skiff.  He'll  float 
down  the  river.  If  the  rebs  pick  him  up  they  won't  know 
him,  and  if  he  gets  to  the  Union  boats  he  can't  hurt  any- 
one." 

"  Dat's  good,  Massa  Bryant  !  "  muttered  the  negro 
with  a  grin.  "  Hope  he'll  get  to  de  sharks  and  'gators,  or 
de  Yankee  gunships.  Call  me  sarsafras-skulled  niggah — 
cuss  him  !  " 

With  that,  aided  by  me,  he  dragged  the  insensible 
Bassett  to  the  boat,  and,  propelled  by  a  vigorous  push,  the 
skiff  with  its  load  floated  down  the  stream. 

As  we  did  so,  however,  Bassett  gave  a  low  groan,  and 
this  was  echoed  by  a  female  voice  beside  me.  I  turned 
hurriedly,  and  Laura  Peyton,  with  a  pale  face,  gasped 
tremblingly  to  me  :  "  Lawrence — you — you  have  killed 
some  one  ? " 

**  Not  exactly,  darling,"  I  replied,  taking  her  in  my  arms 
and  trying  to  comfort  her.  ''  But  I've  been  fixing  a  man 
who  stood  between  me  and  liberty  and  you  !  " 

With  this  I  told  her  hurriedly  of  Mr.  Bassett's  commis- 
sion from  Amos  Pierson,  and  what  Caucus  and  I  had  done 
to  the  detective. 

"  This  complicates  matters  fearfully,"  she  returned, 
after  a  pause  of  consideration.  "  Come  what  may,  Law- 
rence, I'm  glad  you  did  not  kill  him.  Now  that  this  has 
happened,  you  must  get  away  from  here  instantly." 

"  Not  until  you  keep  your  promise  !  " 

"  How  can  I  keep  my  promise  ?  Who  can  marry  us 
here  ?  You  act  like  a  crazy  man,"  she  muttered,  wring- 
ing her  hands. 

"  Until  you  are  my  wife,  I  make  no  attempt  to  leave 
South  Carolina.  I  won't  exist  with  the  fear  of  losing 
you  to  make  my  life  the  miserable  one  it  has  been  these 
last  six  months," 

"  Whether  you  leave  South  Carolina  or  not,  you  must 
fly  from  here  to-night !  " 

"  Not  without  hope  !  "  said  I,  doggedly. 

"You  must !  " 

"  Not  without  hope  !  " 

"  Well,  then,"  said  she,  "  you  stubborn  one,  I'll  give 
you  hope  !  " 

"  How  ?  " 

**  Let  me    think,"   she   muttered,  knitting  her  brows. 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  gj 

"  Let  me  think  ! "  And  for  a  minute  she  remained 
motionless,  except  that  a  silent  tear  or  two  ran  down  her 
cheeks. 

Then  she  cried  suddenly,  a  look  of  resolution  beaming 
in  her  eye  :  "  Listen  to  me,  Lawrence  Bryant,  and  re*^ 
member,  in  all  the  life  we  may  go  through  together, 
what  I  do  for  love  of  you  now.  Like  most  men  you 
love— a  little  selfishly— that  doesn't  make  us  women  love 
less,  so  long  as  you  love  us.  Now  in  your  selfishness 
)^ou  threaten  a  practical  suicide,  unless  I  do  what  you 
demand— a  thing  that  will  separate  me  from  the  love  of 
my  family.  But  why  should  I  go  over  this  again  ?  I, 
because  your  death  would  break  my  heart,  have  con- 
sented to  this." 

"  No,  no  !  "  I  cried.  "  Laura,  forgive  me  !  "  for  her  gen- 
erosity brought  my  selfishness  hpme  to  me.  "  You  shall 
not  sacrifice  yourself  for  my  mad  passion.  I'll,  for  your 
sake,  try  and  save  myself— try  and  escape  to  the  North. 
And  when  this  awful  struggle  is  ended,  if  we  both  live, 
I'll  come  back  to  you." 

"  Come  back  to  me  perhaps  after  half  a  century.     Who 
knows  how  long  this  war  may  continue  ?     Do  they  fight 
any  the  less  now  that  so  many  are  killed— that  there  are 
so  many  widows  and  orphans,  and  each  day  makes  more  .? 
No,  Lawrence—"  here  she  beamed  on  me—"  I'll  not  take 
the   chance  of  losing,  neither.     I'm   glad  now  that  you 
fought   for   our  happiness.     I'll    marry  you,  come  what 
may,  as  I  promised.      You  wouldn't  have  me  break  my 
word  to  you,  would   you,    dear  one  ? "  this  last  with  a 
pitiful  smile  that  contained  two  tears. 
"  You'll  marry  me  ?  "  I  cried. 
"  As  soon  as  possible  !  " 
"How?" 

"A-a-h.  How.?"  She  gave  another  sigh  and 
thought  hard  again.  Then  said,  "  I'll  tell  you  how  !  " 
speaking  with  sudden  determination.  "  There  is  a  part  of 
this  State  so  blessed  by  God  that  this  cruel  war  has 
never  reached  it.  Far  away  to  the  northwest,  cut  off  by 
the  high  peaks  of  the  Blue  Ridge  and  Alleghany  from 
the  awful  carnage  and  bloodshed  of  Tennessee,  and  too 
far  from  the  coast  to  be  engulfed  in  the  cruel  devas- 
tation that  is  scourging  the  country  about  here,  the 
pretty  mountains  and  upland  valleys  of  Spartanburg 
7 


98  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

county,  save  for  the  absence  of  their  sons,  hardly  know 
of  the  carnage  that  is  going  on  all  round  them.  My 
aunt,  Miss  Mary  Tickens,  has  a  little  farm  near  the 
boundary  of  North  Carolina,  not  far  from  Jackson  Hill, 
She  is  an  old  lady  of  about  seventy,  and  has  lived  there  as 
long  as  I  can  recollect,  waited  upon  and  tended  by  two 
negroes,  who  are  as  old  as  herself.  She  is  bright  and  active 
for  a  woman  of  her  years,  and  would  be  sure  to  discover 
the  circumstances  that  brought  us  to  her,  but,  fortunately, 
I  being  her  favorite  niece,  received  a  letter  from  her  not 
long  ago  stating  that  she  was  going  to  make  a  visit  to  her 
sister,  in  Augusta,  Georgia.  The  old  cook  is  the  only  one 
left  in  the  house.  She  adores  mc,  and  will  believe  any- 
thing I  tell  her.  In  that  portion  of  the  State  you  would  be 
unknown,  and  would  be  as  safe  as  it  is  jiossible  for  you  to 
be  in  the  Confederacy.  Meet  me  there,  and  I  will  keep 
my  promise." 

"  You  will  marry  me  there  ?  " 

"  Y-c-s  !  "  she  replied,  slowly,  with  a  sigh,  then  giv- 
ing me  a  slight  smile,  murmured  :  "  It  is  near  '  The 
Land  of  the  Sky.'  Lawrence,  in  happier  days,  I  would 
have  picked  it  out  for — a — a  honeymoon  in  the  Blue 
Ridge,"  the  last  with  a  blush  that  looked  crimson  in 
the  light  of  the  candle. 

"  You  will  meet  me  there  ?  " 

"  Certainly.  Come  to  my  aunt's  house."  And  she 
gave  me  careful  directions.  "  Four  days  from  now  I 
will  be  there.  I  can  easily  make  the  excuse  of  visiting 
my  aunt  to  my  father,  brother,  and  sister,  who   do  not 

know  that  she  is  absent  from  her  mountain  home. 

But  how  to  get  there  ?  "  At  this  she  paused,  and  then 
cried  despairingly,  "This  war  has  made  me  so  very 
poor  !  "  The  next  moment,  covering  her  face  with  her 
hands,  she  muttered  :  "  I  should  not  have  told  this  to 
you  !  " 

"  Darling,"  said  I,  "  why  did  you  not  use  the  money 
that  1  sent  to  you  six  months  ago  ? " 

There  was  a  little  reproach  in  my  tone,  for  during 
this  interview,  I  had  been  looking  at  the  plain  homespun 
dress  of  my  sweetheart,  the  coarse  shoes,  and  the 
absence  of  all  the  little  delicate  adornments  which  she 
had  been  used  to  wear  in  the  happier  days  of  our  first 
engagement.      "  Why  didn't  you  spend  the  money  ?  " 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  99 

'*  I  could  not  take  it  from  you,  when  I  supposed  you 
would  not  be  my  Jiusband,"  she  cried.  "  Oh,  I  am  so 
glad  now  that  I  have  been  able  to  return  it  to  you  intact, 
without  having  touched  a  dollar  of  it  !  " 

"  So  am  I,"  replied  I.  "  Fate  made  you  save  it.  It 
gives  us  money  enough  to  make  the  attei7ipt  to  become 
happy." 

With  this,  after  much  entreaty,  I  forced  upon  her  a 
sufficient  amount  for  all  the  requirements  of  her  jour- 
ney. 

"Why,"  she  said,  "this  almost  makes  me  feel  rich. 
Every  dollar  of  this  is  worth  twenty  of  Confederate  money. 
But  how  are  you  to  get  away  ?  That  is  the  real  difficulty. 
Without  a  pass  you  can  travel  nowhere  in  this  portion  of 
the  State." 

At  this  I  began  to  think.  How  was  1  to  leave  the 
neighborhood  of  Charleston  without  a  passport  ?  Every 
train  was  guarded,  and  every  traveler  without  papers 
looked  upon  with  suspicion.  This  obstacle  to  our  plans 
would  have  appeared  insurmountable  had  not,  at  this 
moment,  my  eye  rested  upon  the  coat  and  vest  of  the 
detective.  Filled  with  a  new  hope,  I  seized  Bassett's 
clothes  and  thoroughly  searched  them.  In  them  I  found 
a  pocket-book  full  of  papers  and  money,  which  I  thought 
best  to  take  with  me  ;  also  a  passport  made  out  to  travel 
on  business  of  importance  to  the  Confederate  Govern- 
ment. It  was  a  general,  unlimited,  roving  kind  of  pass- 
port, though,  unfortunately,  it  gave  a  description  of  Mr. 
Bassett  with  which  I  did  not  thoroughly  agree,  though 
our  height  and  weight  were  about  the  same. 

"  I  must  try  it  with  these  papers,"  said  I.  "  They  are 
my  only  chance.  Let  Caucus  guide  me  to  the  railroad, 
in  order  thai  I  may  get  a  train  for  Columbia,  thence  on  to 
Spartanburg.    Then  he  can  return  and  bring  you  to  me." 

I  hurriedly  asked  her  if  the  schedule  time  of  the  South 
Carolina  Railroad  had  been  altered  in  the  last  six  months. 
She  said  she  thought  that  it  had  not.  If  this  was  so,  I 
knew  the  running  time,  and  could  make  my  arrangements 
accordingly.  In  order  to  catch  the  early  train,  it  was 
necessary  for  me  to  start  at  once.  I  called  Caucus, 
explained  the  matter  to  him,  and  he  agreed  to  what  I 
said.  He  remarked  that  there  wouldn't  be  any  danger 
for  himself  in  traveling  with  a  young  lady  as  well  known 


lOO  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

as  Miss  Peyton,  and  he  could  get  along  very  well  without 
me,  as  I  had  only  been  a  source  of  danger  to  him  ever 
since  he  had  met  me. 

We  were  all  too  much  excited  to  make  my  parting  with 
my  sweetheart  a  tearful  or  a  sad  one.  We  had  not  time 
to  think. 

Leaving  her  ;  under  the  guidance  of  Caucus,  who 
knew  the  by-ways  of  this  part  of  the  country  thoroughly, 
I  traveled  rapidly  north  from  the  Stono  River,  crossing 
the  Charleston  and  Savannah  Railroad  track,  and  taking 
a  small  country  road,  succeeded  in  reaching  the  Seven- 
Mile  station  on  the  South  Carolina  Railroad.  This  was 
just  sufficiently  outside  the  picket  lines  of  the  Confeder- 
ates around  Charleston  to  be  safe. 

Sending  Caucus  back  to  my  sweetheart,  with  strict 
injunctions  to  watch  over  her  until  I  met  them,  I  boarded 
the  train,  muffled  myself  up  well  about  the  head,  and 
pretended  to  sleep,  in  order  to  avoid  interrogations. 

The  running  time  of  all  trains  upon  the  railroad  was 
now  so  bad,  owing  to  their  defective  tracks,  that  I  knew 
it  would  probably  be  evening  before  we  reached  Colum- 
bia. This  suited  me  very  well,  as  there  was  less  chance 
of  my  being  recognized  in  that  town  at  night.  The  hard- 
ships and  trouble  I  had  been  through  had,  to  a  certain 
extent,  altered  me,  and  the  poor  clothes  I  now  wore,  so 
different  to  my  apparel  of  a  few  months  ago,  made  the 
change  in  me  a  great  one.  Another  thing  in  favor  of  my 
not  being  recognized  was  that  the  exigencies  of  the  war 
had  called  all  the  young  men  away  to  the  army  ;  conse- 
quently the  former  brakemen  and  conductors  had  been 
removed,  and  their  places  taken  by  old  men,  who  had  not 
seen  me  in  my  railroad  position,  and  did  not  know  me. 
It  was  night  when  we  reached  Columbia.  My  ticket  was 
taken  up  and  my  pass  examined  by  the  last  conductor. 
Among  the  things  I  had  found  in  the  pocket  of  the 
detective's  coat  was  a  plug  of  tobacco.  In  my  haste  I 
had  transferred  it  to  mine.  This  was  fortunate,  as  I  was 
just  about  to  leave  the  train  when  the  conductor  suddenly 
turned  to  me  and  said  :  "  Can  you  favor  me  with  a  chaw, 
Mr.  Bassett  ?  " 

"  A  what  ?  " 

"  A  chaw  of  tobacco,  of  course. " 

I  put  my  hand  in  my  pocket  and  found  the  plug.     Had 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  lOl 

I  not  been  able  to  do  so,  the  conductor  mis^ht  have  sus- 
pected me.  I  presume  he  knew  Mr.  Bas^ett's  habits,  and 
that  he  never  traveled  without  his  tobacco. 

Leaving  the  train,  and  going  into  an  out-of-the-way 
portion  of  the  town,  where  I  would  be  apt  to  meet  no 
one  who  would  recognize  me,  I  spent  most  of  the  night. 
The  next  morning  I  sent  a  negro  to  buy  my  ticket,  for  I 
was  afraid  that  the  ticket-seller  would  remember  me. 
Having  procured  this,  the  early  train  took  me  up  into  the 
hills. 

I  now  felt  more  at  my  ease.  Every  mile  I  went,  carried 
me  away  not  only  from  the  scene  of  war,  but  from  the 
people  whom  I  had  known,  and  who  might  recognize  me. 
That  evening  I  put  up  at  the  little  country  hotel  of  Spar- 
tanburg, the  landlady  of  which  was  a  widow,  her  hus- 
band having  been  killed  at  Gettysburg. 

Here  I  waited — waited  impatiently  for  two  long  days, 
most  of  the  time  watching  the  road  leading  north  from 
Spartanburg,  for  I  knew  that  along  this  my  sweetheart 
must  pass  to  the  place  where  she  had  promised  to  be  my 
bride.  The  beautiful  country  about  me,  the  bracing  at- 
mosphere of  these  hills,  so  different  to  the  clammy  moist- 
ure of  the  swamp  country  of  the  coast  where  I  had 
toiled,  all  were  naught  to  me — I  looked  only  for  her.  I 
did  not  see  her,  but  the  evening  of  the  second  day  the 
landlady  said  that  Miss  Peyton  had  hired  a  wagon  from 
her  to  go  out  to  her  Aunt  Mary's  place.  That  night  I 
hardly  slept.  The  next  morning  I  drove  out  toward 
Cowpens  Ford,  and  turning  up  a  little  mountain  road, 
an  "hour  afterward,  Mr.  Caucus,  with  an  exclamaiion  of 
delight  and  a  horrible  grin,  opening  the  gate  for  me,  I  was 
in  the  arms  of  my  sweetheart  once  more. 

''  Did  I  not  keep  my  promise  ?  "  she  said.  "  Did  I  not  ? 
But  oh  !  how  I  had  to  fib  to  my  family.  What  decep- 
tion !  I  almost  despise  myself  for  it.  I  wonder  if  they 
will  ever  forgive  me.     My  poor  father  !  " 

She  commenced  to  wring  her  hands,  and  would  have 
gone  on  in  this  style  had  not  I,  inspired  by  her  presence 
said  :  "  Laura,  this  is  no  time  for  tears.  We  must  be 
married  at  once." 

"  At  once  ?  "  this  with  a  little  tremble. 

"Immediately!"  I  returned.  "Were  we  to  be  met 
together,  your  situation  would  now  be  embarrassing." 


I02  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

"  Oh,  I  had  forgotten  that !  "  she  cried,  giving  me  a 
delicious  blush.  "Old  Mr.  Huntington,  the  minister  who 
baptized  me,  lives  not  two  miles  from  here.  He  is 
both  a  little  deaf  and  a  little  blind,  but  I  imagine  a  cere- 
mony performed  by  him  will  be  as  binding  as  if  solem- 
nized by  a  minister  with  the  complete  use  of  his  faculties. 
Will  you  ride  over  to  him  and  give  him  this  note  from 
me  ?    I  think  he  remembers  me  as  a  child." 

I  soon  found  the  old  preacher,  and  two  hours  afterward 
returned  with  him.  Here  a  new  rapture  awaited  me. 
Laura  swept  into  the  room.  In  some  occult  manner,  in 
Columbia,  she  had  obtained  a  white  muslin  dress  and  a 
little  French  ribbon,  perhaps  the  relic  of  her  finery  before 
the  war.  Radiant  with  blushes  and  love,  my  bride  was  a 
perfect  goddess  of  beauty. 

The  marriage  ceremony  between  us  was  performed. 
Half  an  hour  afterward  the  minister  drove  away,  and  my 
bride  and  I  strolled  out  on  the  veranda  of  the  old  house. 
Behind  us  were  the  beautiful  peaks  of  the  Alleghany  and 
Blue  Ridge,  that  cut  off  the  desolation  of  war  from  us. 
Below,  a  hundred  beautiful  little  hills  gradually  rolled  into 
the  valleys  that  ran  down  to  the  sea-coast,  red  with  the 
blood  of  civil  contest.   ' 

In  this  fair  country,  divorced  by  nature  from  the  pas- 
sions of  men,  we  had  only  to  live  for  each  other  now  and 
be  happy  while  God  would  let  us.  For  a  month  we  tried 
to  live  the  life  of  forgetfulness,  and  in  part  succeeded. 
What  man  would  not  think  that  Heaven  intended  his 
fate  to  be  happy,  blessed  as  I  was  by  the  supreme 
love  and  beauty  that  my  wife  gave  to  me?  But  still 
neither  of  us  could  forget  the  danger  that  surrounded  us. 
This  made  us  very  cautious,  and  actuated  by  this,  my 
wife  wrote  several  letters  to  her  family  describing  the 
happy  visit  she  was  making  her  aunt. 

It  was  a  curious  honeymoon.  The  sudden  opening  of  a 
door  caused  the  bride  to  start ;  a  step  upon  the  piazza  or 
on  the  walk  outside  made  the  bridegroom  handle  his  pis- 
tol. The  faithful  Caucus,  however,  was  always  on  the 
alert,  and  nearly  every  day  went  down  to  Spartanburg  to 
get  the  news  ;  but  no  troops  were  moving  in  this  country, 
which  had  been  denuded  of  all  its  young  men,  and  we 
were  far  enough  away  from  the  great  highways  to  the 
gaps  of  the  Blue  Ridge  by  which  reinforcements  were 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  I03 

sent  into  the  valley  of  the  Tennessee  to  be  rid  of  marching 
troops.  We  lulled  ourselves  into  a  hope  that  this  might 
last  forever,  until,  one  clear  winter's  day,  the  sword 
descended — our  honeymoon  in  the  Blue  Ridge  ceased 
forever.     Like  most  tragedies,  it  came  unexpectedly. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

WHEN    GIRL    MEETS    GIRL  ! 

The  day  had  been  one  of  dreamy  happiness.  We  had 
now  almost  deluded  ourselves  with  the  hope  that  a  hap- 
pier Providence  than  that  which  had  heretofore  been 
over  us  would  still  permit  us  to  linger  in  each  other's 
love,  despite  the  whirl  of  war  around  us.  The  day  had 
been  one  worthy  of  the  superb  scenery  about  us  that  gave 
a  tinge  of  poetic  romance  to  our  love.  We  had  been  sit- 
ting together  on  the  veranda,  looking  down  the  slopes  of 
the  Blue  Ridge,  upon  which  a  little  stream  ran  toward 
the  plains  upon  which  the  war  raged  that  we  had  grown 
now  to  look  upon  as  very  distant.  Behind  us  the  moun- 
tains rose  into  the  blue  air,  and  were  covered  with  a  slight 
snow,  for  it  was  late  in  December. 

"  Laura,"  said  I,  giving  her  slight  waist  a  little  honey- 
moon squeeze,  "  do  you  remember  this  day  three  years 
ago  ?  The  n^ght  of  the  little  dance  at  your  house — the 
day  Secession  was  declared  ?  " 

"  Yes,  Lawrence,"  she  muttered,  "  I  have  never  for- 
gotten that  ;  but  please  do  not  at  this  moment  mention 
what  reminds  me  of  the  last  three  terrible  years.  Here, 
cut  off  from  bloodshed  and  trouble  by  that  little  range 
of  hills  below,  let  us  be  happy  while  we  can  ;  the  time 

will    be    too   short. My    heavens  !    whose    voice    is 

that  ? " 

At  this  she  turned  pale  and  began  to  tremble  nervously, 
and  I  turned  pale  also,  for — "  This  is  Aunt  Mary's  hou-se, 
I  reckon^  isn't  it.  Caucus  ?"  came  to  us  in  the  accents  of 
the  woman  I  wished  least  to  meet  on  earth — Miss  Belle 
Peyton,  Laura's  sister. 

I  could  hear  the  negro's  teeth  chatter ;  next  his  voice 


T04  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

came  to  me  in  a  kind  of  grinning  yell  :  "  Golly  gracious  ! 
Miss  Belle's  heah  !  Miss  Belle's  heah  !  'Clare  to  good- 
ness, Miss  Belle's  heah  !  " 

He  ran  about  the  garden  shrieking  this  out,  apparently 
to  give  us  warning. 

"  Are  you  crazy,  Caucus  ?  Open  the  gate  at  once,  and 
let  me  in  !  "  said  Belle,  hurriedly. 

The  next  moment  she  rode  into  the  garden.  Pale,  but 
firm,  Laura  rose  to  meet  her  sister. 

I  can  see  Belle  now  as  she  came  running  up  the  steps, 
crying  :  "  Laura,  I  grew  anxious  about  you  when  Aunt  Mary 
wrote  me  from  Augusta  saying  nothing  of  you.  I  thought 
it  curious  that  you  were  makmg  her  a  visit  when  she  was 
not  at  home.  But  now  I  will  stay  a  week  or  two  with 
you  myself.  We'll  have  a  delightful  time  up  in  these  lovely 

hills.     We'll Oh  !  my  soul  !     This  is  the  cause  of  your 

visit.  You  are  .staying  here  with  this  man.  My  sister, 
what  does  it  mean  ? "  and  Belle  glared  at  me  with  fiery 
eyes. 

At  this  Laura  said,  very  calmly,  though  there  was  a  trem- 
ble in  her  voice,  "  Belle,  let  me  introduce  to  you  my 
husband,  Mr.  Lawrence  Bryant." 

"  Your  kusband  ?  "  shrieked  Belle.  "  Oh,  heavens  !  this 
is  worse  than  I  feared  !  " 

"  My  husband,  whom  I  love  and  honor,  and  whom  you 
must  respect,  Belle,  if  we  are  to  be  sisters." 

"  Sisters  ?  When  you  have  married  one  of  our  enemies  ? 
This  man  who  loved  the  North  so  much  that  he  left  you 
to  fly  to  it  ?  Oh,  what  degradation  !  What  misery  ! 
What  despair  !  AVhat  will  my  poor  old  father  say  to — 
this  ?  "  and  the  girl  began  to  pant  with  passionate  rage 
and  hysterical  misery. 

"  He  will  say  nothing.  You  must  not  tell  him — at 
present,"  came  from  Laura's  pale  but  resolute  lips. 

"  But  I  7ai//  tell  him,  so  that  he  can  despise  you  as  I 
do.  Loving  this  man  who  would  destroy  us— a  Yankee." 
This  last  was  uttered  as  if  it  was  a  term  of  contempt 
beyond  anything  else  on  earth.     "  A  Yankee  !  " 

The  girl  came  toward  me  with  flashing  eyes,  looking 
as  if  she  would  almost  attack  me. 

"  Oh,  how  I  hate  you  !  "  she  hissed.  "You  who  have 
lured  my  sister  away  from  her  duty  and  her  friends.  A 
man  who  had   not  lieart  enough    to    fight   us,  but  must 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  IO5 

destroy  our  family  by  making  a  woman  love  him,  and 
she — my  sister,"  and  she  burst  out  crying,  sobbing,  and 
wringing  her  hands. 

I  bad  said  nqthing  to  this,  judging  it  best  to  let  her 
exhaust  her  childish  fury.  Now  I  remarked  :  "  Miss 
Belle,  I  loved  your  sister  before  this  war  came  to 
separate  us.  You  used  to  like  me  then  ;  can  you 
not  think  a  little  kindly  of  one  who  regards  you  as — a 
sister  ? " 

"  Your  sister  1  she  shrieked.  "  I  will  not  be  your  sis- 
ter long.  I  have  heard  that  you  are  a  criminal — a  deserter 
from  the  ranks  of  our  army  twice  over.  Good -by,  Laura  ! 
Your  honeymoon  will  be  a  short  one." 

The  girl  turned  to  go,  and  almost  staggered  while  doing 
so. 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  "  cried  Laura,  suddenly  confront- 
ing her.     "  Where  are  you  going  ?  " 

*'  I  am  going  to  the  nearest  military  post  to  denounce 
this  man  you  have  wed,  and  to  deliver  him  up  to  our 
authorities,  that  he  may  be  shot  to  death.  That's  what 
they'll  do  to  him  !  Then  he  can  call  me  '  sister '  no 
more.  Then  our  disgrace  may  be  wiped  out  by  his  blood. 
You  shall  be  his  widow — not  his  wife  !  " 

"  You  will  do  nothing  of  the  kind,"  said  Laura,  very 
calmly.  ''  You  are  crazy  now.  Belle.  You  will  stay  here 
until  your  mania  is  over." 

"■  I  will  stay  here  not  a  second  !  Don't  you  try  to 
detain  me  !  Keep  your  hands  off  me  !  "  for  Laura  had 
placed  a  detaining  grasp  on  Belle's  arm.  ''  How  dare 
you  ?" 

"It  is  my  duty,"  said  Laura,  "to  my  husband  and  to 
you  to  stop  an  insane  woman  from  doing  what  she  would 
regret  forever.  Do  you  suppose  I  will  let  you,  in  your 
mad  anger,  murder  the  man  I  love  ?  Do  you  think  that 
I  am  crazy  as  well  as  you  ?  You  will  stay  here  until  you 
regain  your  sanity  ! " 

"  Not  another  second  under  the  roof  that  is  polluted 
by  this  man.  Oh,  my  Heaven,  Laura  !  how  could  you 
do  it  ?  But  I  will  do  my  duty,  if  you  forget  yours,  you 
renegade  !  "  The  two  girls  stood  confronting  each  other, 
the  dark  eyes  of  one  flashing  anger  into  the  resolution  in 
the  blue  eyes  of  the  other. 

"  Lawrence/'   returned   Laura,  calmly,  "give  me  your 


I06  HOW    1    ESCAPED.  ' 

assistance.  Your  life  depends  on  it.  This  girl  is  mad 
enough  to  do  what  she  promises  !  " 

I  saw  that  my  only  chance  of  safety  was  in  obeying  my 
wife's  request.  I  came,  and  as  tenderly^ as  possible  took 
hold  of  Belle's  arm. 

"  Oh,  you're  a  northern  gentleman!"  she  hissed,  "  to  lay 
your  hands  on  a  woman  !     It  is  like  you  Yankees  !  " 

"  Belle,  stop  these  insults,"  cried  Laura,  *'or  I  shall  for- 
get that  you  are  my  sister  !  S/op  them !  Lawrence, 
Quick!''  for  Belle  had  commenced  to  struggle  and 
scream  in  her  hysterical  rage. 

Then  Laura  and  I,  as  delicately  and  tenderly  as  was 
possible,  drew  the  struggling  girl  into  the  house,  and 
securely  locked  her  into  one  of  the  upper  rooms. 

This  apartment  was  a  kind  of  attic,  the  windows  of 
which  were  protected  by  iron  bars  from  the  assaults  of 
negro  thieves,  the  place  being  used  as  a  family  store- 
room. I  shall  never  forget  the  look  in  that  girl's  eyes 
that  fell  on  me  as  we  left  her  !  The  rage  of  "  a  tigress 
robbed  of  her  young  "  would  do  no  justice  to  the  picture 
that  Miss  Belle's  pretty  face  made  as  we  closed  the  door 
on  her  and  turned  the  key  in  the  padlock. 

Laura  and  I  descended  the  stairs,  despair  in  our  hearts. 
We  knew  our  honeymoon  was  over,  that  the  war  had 
drifted  from  the  plains  of  South  Carolina  into  this  quiet 
valley  of  the  Blue  Ridge. 

"  Lawrence,  we  must  part  now.  There  is  but  one 
place  of  safety  for  you,  and  that  is  on  the  other  side  of 
the  line." 

"  Now  ?  "  I  muttered. 

"  Yes  ;  I  know  you  would  stay  with  me.  You  would 
risk  your  life  for  my  happiness,  for  another  day  with  me  ; 
but  you  must  go.  It  may  be  a  sweetheart's  wish  to 
detain  her  husband.  It  is  a  wife's  duty  to  bid  him  God- 
speed at  such  a  time  as  this. " 

"  Laura,  you  must  go  with  me  !  " 

"  I  cannot !  I  dare  not !  I  must  keep  this  girl  here, 
or  you  will  be  pursued  before  you  can  reach  any  place 
of  safety.  I  will  join  you  in  the  North.  It  will  not  be 
difificult  for  me  to  take  passage  in  a  blockade-runner. 
Women  are  non-combatants.  1  will  meet  you  wherever 
you  tell  me.  My  life  here  could  hardly  be  pleasant  now  ; 
with    you    away   from  me  it  would  be  misery.     I  shall 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  IO7 

keep  Belle  securely,  but  tenderly,  until  the  danger  of  her 
denouncing  you  is  passed." 

After  this  I  did  not  attempt  to  persuade  my  wife  to 
accompany  me  upon  the  hazardous  journey  I  was  about 
to  undertake.  I  had  long  ago  mapped  out  the  route  I 
should  take  on  leaving  the  Confederacy.  It  was  across 
the  State  line,  but  a  few  miles  distant,  into  North  Caro- 
lina, then  through  the  western  portion  of  that  State  into 
the  mountains  of  East  Tennessee,  entering  the  Union 
lines  near  Knoxville. 

Dangerous  as  this  road  was,  on  account  of  guerillas, 
bushwhackers,  and  scouts,  it  was  the  best  now  open  to 
me. 

I  made  my  preparations  hurriedly,  silently,  with 
almost  a  broken  heart.  That  night  my  wife  and  I 
parted.  Our  honeymoon  ended  almost  as  suddenly  as 
it  had  begun,  but  I  left  with  the  joy  that  now  she  was 
mine  ;  no  other  suitors  could  rob  me  of  her.  She  was  not 
my  sweetheart — she  was  my  wife. 

This  journey  I  was  to  make  alone.  I  would  not  take 
even  Caucus  with  me,  as  it  was  necessary  that  he  should 
stay  by  my  wife.  I  was  thoroughly  armed  with  a  pair  of 
navy  revolvers,  had  a  fairly  good  horse,  and  fifty  dollars 
in  greenbacks  in  my  pocket.  The  balance  of  my  hoard 
I  left  with  Laura  for  any  expenses  and  emergencies  she 
might  meet  with  and  to  pay  her  passage  on  some  block- 
ade-runner to  Nassau,  thence  to  New  York. 

As  Caucus  opened  the  gate  of  the  garden,  and  bade 
me  good-by,  I  could  see  the  pale,  distracted  face  of  my 
wife,  as  she  stood  in  the  doorway  of  the  house.  I  did 
not  dare  look  back  too  long,  and,  setting  my  teeth, 
turned  my  head  away  to  make  my  escape,  for  her  sake 
as  well  as  my  own. 

My  preparations  had  occupied  me  till  perhaps  nine 
o'clock  at  night.  Beyond  the  gate  of  the  garden,  my 
road  ran  down  a  little  lane  Imed  with  laurel  trees. 
The  moonlight,  however,  reflected  from  the  snow  of 
the  neighboring  hills,  made  this  lane  quite  light.  I  was 
leaning  on  my  horse,  arranging  the  articles  that  I  carried 
with  me  in  a  knapsack  slung  upon  the  saddle,  v/hen  I 
heard  these  words,  that  gave  me  a  tenible  start  :  "By 
Gosh  !  I've  got  you  now,  and  this  time  you  don't  escape 
me  !  " 


lo8  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

Glancing  hurriedly  up,  I  saw  confronting  me,  not  ten 
feet  away,  the  form  of  Pete  Bassett,  who  had  me  covered 
with  a  revolver. 

Fortunately  one  of  my  pistols  was  in  a  holster  hanging 
from  the  saddle,  and  my  hand  rested  upon  it.  I  did  not 
move  it  as  I  knew  that  any  motion  would  be  the  signal 
for  my  death,  but  with  a  presence  of  mind  born  of  the 
situation,  I  said  quietly  :  "  Mr.  Bassett,  I  never  expected 
to  see  you  again." 

"  No,"  he  replied.  "  And  you  don't  like  it,  after  hav- 
ing that  nigger  beat  me  nearly  to  death,  and  then  ship- 
ping me  down  the  river  in  a  boat,  delirious  for  two 
weeks,  so  I  could  not  give  an  account  of  myself.  You 
didn't  reckon  on  me  to  find  yo.u  agin,  but  that  reward 
is  still  open  from  that  particular  friend  of  yours.  So  I 
come  up  and  nosed  around  Columbia,  and  when  I  saw 
your  gal's  sister  Belle  start  out  suddenly  for  this  part  of 
the  State,  I  followed  her,  and  having  got  a  glimpse  of 
the  gal  you  are  sweet  on  through  the  window  of  that 
house,  I  knew  you  wasn't  far  away.  Now  I  have  got 
you  sure  !  You  don't  dodge  me  agin.  Throw  up  your 
hands ! " 

"  Yes,  I  do  !  "  cried  I,  with  a  laugh.  "  Hit  him  again. 
Caucus !  " 

With  an  oath  the  detective  suddenly  wheeled  and 
faced  about  to  confront,  as  he  supposed,  the  negro  once 
more.  As  he  did  so  my  hand  drew  my  pistol  from  its 
holster,  and  like  lightning  I  shot  him,  for  I  had  no 
mercy  now.  This  man  had  three  times  stepped  be- 
tween me  and  escape,  and  I  knew  if  I  did  not  kill  him 
there  would  be  but  little  chance  for  me. 

With  a  horrid  yell,  Bassett  fell  into  the  roadway. 
I  stepped  up  to  him  and  he  gasped  :  "  Played  me  agin, 
Gol  darn  it  !  and  this  time  played  out  forever  !  Fust 
laid  out  by  a  nigger,  and  then  chawed  up  by  a 
Yank  ! " 

With  this  he  fainted,  probably  with  disgust,  as  his  hurt 
did  not  seem  to  be  mortal. 

As  I  bent  down  over  the  wounded  man.  Caucus  and 
my  wife,  attracted  by  the  noise  of  the  shooting,  came  run- 
ning down  the  avenue.  From  her  appearance  I  am  sure 
that  Laura  thought  I  had  been  the  victim,  for  she  gave 
a  sigh  of  relief  when  she  saw  me  .standing  erect. 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  lOQ 

"What  new  horror  is  this?"  she  gasped,  while  Cau- 
cus gave  a  grin  and  chuckled  :  "  You  fixed  him  dis  time 
didn't  you,  Alassa  Bryant  ?  An'  I  fixed  him  de  last  time  ! 
I  reckon  we  got  to  bury  him  dis  time  !  " 

"  That  would  not  trouble  me  much,"  I  replied.  He 
has  had  three  chances  at  my  liberty— now  I  have  had  one 
chance  at  his  life  ! "  ,      .,  -r 

"  Lawrence,  you  must  not  stay  here  !  said  my  wite. 
"We  will  do  what  we  can  for  this  wounded  man.  Go 
on  at  once,  you  may  be  pursued  !  This  has  made  your 
flight  even  more  imperative  than  Belle's  visit  ! " 

Another  hurried  parting,  another  last  kiss,  and  I 
started  once  more  upon  my  journey. 


BOOK    IV. 

How  I   Came  Back  and  Fought 
FOR    Her. 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

INTO    THE    DARK    COUNTRY. 


I  HAD  made  up  my  mind  to  follow  the  road  which  led 
across  the  State  line  into  Henderson  County,  thence  to 
Asheville,  in  Buncombe  County,  and  the  French  Broad 
River,  which  would  give  me  a  direct  route  through  one 
of  the  gaps  of  the  Blue  Ridge  and  Alleghany  Mountains 
into  East  Tennessee.  Now,  fearing  immediate  pursuit, 
I  whispered  my  change  of  plans  to  my  wife.  I  deter- 
mined to  go  somewhat  off  the  direct  route  by  way  of 
Rutherford  County,  which  would  probably  throw  any 
people  following  me  off  my  track.  Taking  a  few  hurried 
directions  from  her  lips,  for  Laura  knew  the  country  very 
well,  I  took  the  small  road  leading  across  the  State  line 
to  Island  Ford,  in  Rutherford  County,  North  Carolina. 

It  was  only  a  few  miles  distant,  and  in  about  an  hour 
and  a  half,  by  riding  rapidly,  I  had  made  the  place. 
From  here  I  passed  rapidly  along  to  Rutherfordton, 
a  little  village  and  county-seat,  arriving  there  some 
time  after  midnight.  From  this  place,  after  resting  my 
horse,  I  followed  the  directions  given  me,  and  about  three 
in  the  morning  reached  Green's  Hill.  The  country  was 
very  thinly  settled,  and  that  night  I  was  disturbed  by 
nothing  save  the  barking  of  a  few  curs  as  I  passed  along 
near  the  farm-houses  on  the  road. 

I  was  approaching  Green's  Hill  when  I  heard  the  clatter 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  lit 

of  a  horse's  hoofs  behind  me.  Urging  my  tired  beast  to 
his  speed,  I  kept  along  as  rapidly  as  possible,  but  in  spite 
of  me,  the  sound  came  nearer  and  nearer.  Fearing  that 
I  was  pursued,  and  knowing  that  it  was  by  only  one  man, 
for  I  could  hear  only  the  noise  of  one  horse,  I  drew  up  in 
the  shade  of  some  trees  to  let  him  pass  me,  or  to  see 
what  he  intended  to  do. 

I  had  not  been  in  this  position  more  than  a  minute  or 
two  when  a  form  of  a  man  on  horseback  rapidly  passed 
me.     By  the  uncertain  light,  it  seemed  familiar  to  me. 

I  hallooed,  "  Is  that  you,  Caucus  ?  " 

'-  Golly  !  Fo'  de  Lord,  Massa  Bryant !  I  came  near 
passin'  you  !  You  come  right  along  wid  me.  Dey  is 
fixin'  up  a  party  to  pursue  you  down  dar  in  Spartan- 
burg. Dey  ain't  half  an  hour  behind  me.  Miss  Laura 
said  1  was  to  come  along  to  tell  you.  Dis  note's  from 
her,  and  '11  give  you  all  de  statistic.  Come  along  with 
me,  quick  !  " 

Together  we  spurred  along  the  road  to  beyond  Green's 
Hill;  then  turning  to  the  north,  under  Caucus'  direc- 
tion, who  had  been  through  this  country  before,  we  fol- 
lowed a  little  mountain  path  until  we  reached  the  stream 
called  Otter  Creek,  which  I  believe  connects  with  the 
French  Broad  River  further  on.  The  country  here  was 
very  wild,  and  our  horses  were  quite  tired,  though  they 
were  fresh  when  we  started,  we  having  ridden  over  thirty 
miles  that  night 

As  soon  as  morning  came,  we  turned  from  the  road  into 
the  bushes,  where  we  could  hardly  be  discovered,  made  a 
fire,  and  after  eating  a  breakfast  which  I  had  brought 
with  me  (though  Caucus  had  brought  a  much  more 
elaborate  meal  with  him),  and  tethering  the  horses,  we 
lay  down  to  rest. 

I  was  so  worn  out  that  it  was  long  after  mid-day  when 
I  awoke  with  a  start  of  misery.  The  negro  snored  con- 
tentedly by  my  side  ;  the  horses,  a  little  way  off,  browsed 
upon  the  grass  about 'them.  What  had  happened  to  me  ? 
I  knew  some  sorrow  had  overtaken  me.  After  a  moment 
the  scene  brought  my  loss  home  to  me.  My  vvife,  my 
companion,  my  sweetheart,  was  parted  from  me,  perhaps 
forever  ! 

This  recalled  to  me  the  note  that  Caucus  had  brought 
from  her.     The  light  had  been  too  dim  to  read  it  when 


112  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

slumber  fell  upon  me.     I  hurriedly  tore  open  the  epistle. 
It  read  as  follows  : 

"  Monday  Evening. 

"  My  Darling  Husband  :  I  send  these  hurried  lines  to  warn  you 
that  a  party  is  being  collected  to  pursue  you.  This  ought  to  reach 
you  about  an  hour  ahead  of  them.  They  can  hardly  take  the  road 
before  that  time  has  passed.  Your  pistol  shot  attracted  some  men 
riding  along  the  road.  Bassett  was  able  to  tell  them,  and  direct  their 
movements.  Thank  God,  my  sister  Belle  had  no  hand  in  putting 
these  bloodhounds  on  your  track.  Oh,  my  darling  Lawrence,  how 
I  shall  pray  for  you  to-night  !  Bere.t  of  your  presence,  I  feel  like  a 
widow  now— that  these  are  a  widow's  tears  that  fall  upon  this  paper. 
Guard  your  life,  for  it  is  my  life,  my  husband  !  God  grant  that  we 
may  meet  again,  is  the  one  prayer  that  will  go  up  to  heaven,  my  own, 
my  darling  one,  from  your  loving,  despairing  wife, 

"  Laura  Peyton  Bryant. 

"  I  sii^  my  new  name,  dearest,  for  the  first  time.  Oh  !  God  pro- 
tect you  !  L." 

I  had  seen  the  dear  handwriting  many  times  before, 
but  never  had  it  despair  in  it  like  this,  the  first,  perhaps 
the  last  note  I  should  ever  receive  from  my  wife. 

My  eyes  filled  with  tears  as  I  cursed  my  selfish  passion 
that  had  caused  this  beautiful  creature  to  risk  her  happi- 
ness on  the  existence  of  the  hunted  creature  that  I  now 
was.  As  I  re-read  the  letter,  and  the  significance  of  the 
words,  "  Guard  your  life — for  it  is  my  life,  my  husband  !  " 
came  fully  to  me,  I  determined  to  use  a  circumspection, 
forethought,  and  prudence  in  my  movements  through  the 
dark  and  bloody  land  of  the  guerilla  and  bushwhacker 
I  was  now  coming  to,  that  for  my  own  sake  I  should 
hardly  have  contemplated. 

I  awakened  the  negro  with  some  difficulty.     }X  first  he 
seemed  astonished,  but  after  a  moment  recollected,  and 
said.  "  Fo'  de  Lord  !  at  first  I  reckoned  I  was  out  coon 
huntin',  Massa  Bryant,  but  now  I  'members  dat  you  an 
me  is  de  coons,  an'  somebody  else  is  de  hunters." 

I  directed  Caucus  to  get  us  something  to  eat,  which  he 
did  very  quickly,  as  we  thought  it  safer  to  make  no  fire 
and  eat  some  of  what  was  already  cooked  in  our  knap- 
sacks. 

While  we  were  doing  this  I  questioned  Caucus,  and 
learned  that  there  were  probably  about  six  men  in  the 
party  pursuing  us;  that  he  knew  the  country  quite  well, 
having  hunted  over  it  when  living  with  Laura's  aunt 
years  before;  his  acquaintance  with  the  country  roads  and 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  II3 

topography  of  the  neighborhood  going  pretty  accurately 
as  far  as  the  boundaries  of  Yancey  County,  about  twenty 
miles  from  where  we  were.  Beyond  that  point  his  knowl- 
edge was  vague,  uncertain  and  muddled. 

I  had  a  general  idea  of  the  main  lines  of  travel  to  the 
gaps  in  the  Blue  Ridge  myself,  and  pondered  long  upon 
the  route  I  should  take.  At  first  I  thought  of  going 
directly  west  via  Asheville  into  Tennessee  ;  but  that 
would  place  me  well  south  of  the  Union  lines  between 
Knoxville  and  Chattanooga,  and  every  highway  between 
those  two  places  was  filled  with  detachments  of  Con- 
federate soldiers.  I  abandoned,  but  reluctantly,  the 
route  via  Asheville,  as  it  was  much  the  more  direct  and 
easier  to  travel.  Had  I  not  done  so,  the  information 
that  Caucus  brought  me  from  the  road  over  which  we 
had  come  the  night  before  would  have  caused  me  to 
abandon  the  Asheville  route.  For  while  I  was  pondering 
the  black  had  sneaked  cautiously  down  to  the  highway, 
from  which  he  returned  in  a  state  of  great  excitement. 

"  Great  gosh  !  Dey's  on  our  scent,  Massa  Bryant,"  he 
said. 

"  Who  ?  " 

"  Dem  Home  Guardians  from  Spartanburg." 

'*  Home  Guards.     How  do  you  know  that  ? " 

"  Seed  der  tracks — seed  'em  in  de  road — de  marks  of 
der  bosses." 

"  What  makes  you  think  they  are  from  Spartanburg  ? " 

"  Seed  de  off  fore  shoe  of  de  horse  Miss  Belle  rode 
yesterday — it  war  broken.  One  ob  dem  fellahs  took 
Belle's  horse  to  ride  last  night,  and  dar's  de  print  of  a 
broken  off  fore  shoe  in  de  road  in  front  ob  us.  Reckon 
dey's  gone  on  to  Marion  to  rouse  'em  up  to  look  for  us. " 

"  How  many  were  they  ?  " 

"  Three,  sah  !  " 

*'  I  thought  you  said  the  party  of  Home  Guards  num- 
bered six  ?  " 

"  So  I  did,  sah.  Reckon  de  oders  of  dem  went  off  de 
Asheville  road  to  gibe  us  a  deal  if  we  come  out  dat  way. 
I  don't  feel  quite  comfortable,  sah  !  " 

"  Neither  do  I,  Caucus,"  I  replied,  as  I  saw  another 
avenue  of  escape  cut  off,  that  by  Marion — the  main  town 
of  McDowell  County,  in  which  we  now  were. 

"  Look  here,  Cauk,"  said  I,  "  do  you  know  any  by- 


114  HOW    1    ESCAPED. 

path  or  mountain  road  leading  from  here  north,  between 
Asheville  and  Marion  ?  " 

"Yes,  sah.     One  by  Three  Forks." 

"  Where's  that  ?  " 

"About  twenty  miles  from  heah,  on  de  borders  of 
Yancey  County." 

"  And  after  that  do  you  know  the  way  to  the  north  ?  " 

*'  No,  sah  ;  but  I's  heerd  folks  speak  about  it.  Dar's 
a  place  called  Mitchell." 

"  Any  gap  to  go  through  the  mountains  into  Tennes- 
see ?  " 

"  Don't  know,  sah.  Reckon  dar  is.  Dar's  a  riber  up 
dar  called  de  'Chuckey. " 

"  You  mean  the  Nolachucky,  don't  you  ?  " 

*'  Don't  know,  sah.  I  neber  heard  it  called  nothin'  but 
de  'Chuckey." 

"  Very  well,"  said  I,  after  some  thought.  "  We'll  go 
to  Three  Forks  to-night,"  for  I  had  already  made  up  my 
mind  to  try  and  get  through  into  Mitchell,  a  border 
county  of  North  Carolina  on  the  Blue  Ridge,  and  then 
by  going  almost  due  west  through  the  mountains  into 
East  Tennessee,  I  should  strike  Knoxville. 

"  Better  not  start  till  dark,  sah,"  remarked  Caucus. 
"  Might  meet  dose  Home  Guardians  on  de  back  track," 

"  Can  you  find  the  way  at  night  ?  " 

"  Sure,  Massa  Bryant." 

"  Very  well,  then  ;  we'll  leave  at  dusk." 

This  we  accordingly  did  after  making  our  supper  with- 
out lighting  a  fire,  as  the  forethought  of  my  wife  had 
given  me  cooked  provisions  to  last  me  several  days,  and 
Caucus  had  taken  a  good  stock  for  himself  when  he  left 
in  pursuit  of  me. 

I  placed  the  precious  letter  from  my  darling  Laura 
along  with  the  few  papers  I  carried  with  me,  among  them 
the  passport  belonging  to  the  detective,  Bassett.  This 
might  be  of  use  to  me  in  case  of  detention  by  Confeder- 
ate scouts. 

I  knew  that  we  were  now  approaching  rapidly  the  bor- 
der country  where  some  were  Secessionists  and  others 
Union  people,  and  that  v/ith  each  step  we  took  our  dan- 
ger from  bushwhackers  and  scouts  increased.  We  had 
more  evidences  of  this  as  we  progressed.  A  burnt  cabin 
by  the  roadside,  a  destroyed  corn-crib,  and  the  manner 


HOW    1    ESCAPED.  II5 

in  which  a  man  we  met  in  the  road  took  to  the  woods 
all  showed  me  that  we  were  gradually  getting  into  the 
bloody  ground  of  western  North  Carolina  and  East  Ten- 
nessee, where  neighbor  fought  with  neighbor  and  brother 
slew  brother. 

Soon  after  starting  we  turned  to  the  north,  leaving 
Marion  on  our  right,  and  I  gave  a  sigh  of  relief  as  Cau- 
cus informed  me  that  he  "  reckoned  that  we  had  now  left 
de  road  where  de  Home  Guardians  might  come  back  on 
us." 

I  knew  in  case  of  detention  by  Confederate  troops  that 
I  must  have  some  definite  object  in  my  journey,  and  de- 
termined to  be  traveling  about  buying  up  mules  for  the 
Confederate  army.  1  explained  this  to  Caucus,  telling 
him  he  must  pass  as  my  servant;  and  as  we  rode  along 
asked  him,  as  there  were  a  good  many  Union  men  in  this 
part  of  the  State,  if  he  could  not  recollect,  in  his  experi- 
ence here  before  the  war,  some  one  that  he  thought 
would  now  be  true  to  the  Old  Flag. 

"  Yes  sirree  !  I's  takin'  you  to  one  now — up  at  Three 
Forks." 

"  What  makes  you  think  he  is  a  Unionist  ?  " 

"  Wall,  he  corned  down  heah  when  he  war  a  boy,  sah, 
and  dough  he's  trapped  and  hunted  in  de  mountains 
heah  for  thirty  or  forty  years,  dey  always  call  him  afore 
de  war  '  Ole  Yank.'  Reckon  he  must  be  Ole  Yank 
still,  sah," 

"  Perhaps  so,"  returned  I.  "We'll  try  Old  Yank,  any- 
way.    I  like  the  sound  of  the  name." 

We  traveled  on  till  nearly  morning  over  some  very 
rough  country,  for  Caucus  took  us  by  every  out-of-the- 
way  path  he  could  think  of,  and  after  having  gone 
nearly  twenty-five  miles,  as  near  as  I  could  judge,  the 
black  announced  that  he  reckoned  we  was  "  nigh  onto 
Three   Forks." 

As  the  morning  advanced  and  the  light  became 
stronger.  Caucus  began  to  look  about  anxiously,  and 
muttered  : 

"  Can't  be  possible  I  corned  wrong  !  "  Then  suddenly 
cried  :  "  Crackey,  I  knowed  I  was  right,  Massa  Bryant, 
Why  dar's  Ole  Yank's  dorg,  wid  de  cut-off  tail.  Hi, 
Badger  !  "  This  last  to  a  snarling  hound,  who  came  run- 
ning out  of  a  farm-yard  to  bark  at  us. 


Il6  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

At  sight  of  us,  a  girl  coming  out  with  a  milk  pail  in  her 
hand  hurriedly  reentered  the  house,  and  a  moment 
after  "  Ole  Yank  "  himself,  gun  in  hand,  confronted  us  as 
we  came  up  to  his  front  door. 

"  Why,  dar's  de  ole  man  hisself.  'Clare  to  goodness, 
Mister  Yank,  I  was  skeered  you  war  dead  !  Don't  you 
'member  Cauk — dat  used  to  carry  de  grub  for  you  out 
huntin'  ?  " 

"  Wall  !  "  said  the  old  gentleman.  *'  I  guess  I  do — 
never  forgot  that  h'ar  of  yourn.  Dreamt  of  it  one  night, 
— woke  up,  and  found  my  hay-rick  on  fire.  What  brings 
you  up  here  ?  These  aren't  no  good  times  to  travel." 
And  the  old  man  looked  suspiciously  at  me. 

From  the  moment  he  used  the  word  "  guess,"  I  felt 
pretty  sure  he  came  from  the  North. 

"  That's  a  rather  dangerous  title  the  people  give  you 
about  here,"  I  said,  to  test  my  idea. 

"  Yas,  they've  called  me  Ole  Yank,  'fore  the  war,  and  I 
sticks  up  for  the  name  now.  Have  you  anything  to  say 
agin  it  ?  "     Here  he  looked  significantly  at  his  gun. 

"  No  !  "  replied  I,  "  but  I  want  to  speak  to  you,"  and 
without  more  ado  I  told  him  the  truth  about  myself. 

'*  Come  right  in  here,  I  likes  to  look  at  fellows  like 
you  !  "  He  grabbed  my  hand,  ushered  us  into  the  house 
and  cried  out  :  "  Gals,  get  a  right  smart  breakfast  for 
this  gentleman  !  " 

His  daughters,  three  comely,  bright-eyed,  lithe  but 
buxom  mountain  maidens,  sprang  to  do  his  bidding, 
for  "  Old  Yank  "  was  an  autocrat  in  his  house. 

After  breakfast  I  explained  my  plans  to  him,  and  he 
said:  "You  stay  here  till  to-morrow  morning.  You'll 
need  a  rest  before  you  tackle  the  job  ahead  of  you,  for 
it's  a  powerful  nasty  one.  I'll  think  over  your  matter, 
and  give  you  a  leetle  good  advice." 

To  this  I  readily  consented.  I  explained  my  position 
and  plans  to  him,  and  he  answered  me  in  about  these 
words  : 

"  To  most  men  I'd  say  go  back — to  you  I  says  go 
ahead,  sonny,  it's  your  only  chance.  From  here  on  every 
step  you  take  becomes  more  dangerous.  But  Lord  !  boys 
like  you  has  to  take  some  chances.  Now  I'll  help  you 
all  I  kin.  You'd  better  light  out  early  to-morrow  morning 
to  Tittle's  place.     It's  about  four  hours'  travel  north  of 


HOW    I    ESCAPED,  I17 

here,  on  the  borders  of  Mitchell  County.  Give  him 
this  grip,"  here  he  seized  my  hand,  "  He'll  return  it  so," 
with  this  he  grabbed  me  again.  "Then  he'll  tell  you 
what  you'd  better  do  next.  Remember  that  grip,  my  lad  ; 
the  man  that  can't  return  it  to  you  in  these  parts,  look 
out  for,  and  git  ready  to  have  the  drop  on  him.  Take  a 
paper  and  make  yourself  comfortable,  while  I  do  the 
chores." 

He  handed  me  the  Raleigh  Weekly  Standard,  the  office 
of  which  was  afterward  demolished  by  a  mob  of  Con- 
federates. We  passed  a  very  comfortable  day  here, 
Caucus  looking  after  our  horses. 

After  supper  in  the  evening,  the  girls  drew  around  the 
fire,  together  v/ith  the  old  gentleman,  who  amused  us  with 
anecdotes  of  his  early  life  in  the  mountains  and  some 
original  remarks  upon  the  war. 

Then  one  of  the  girls  said  :  "  Dad,  suppose  some  of 
the  rebs  come  here  to-night,  what  v/ill  you  do  with  this 
gentleman  ?  You  know  they  don't  like  you  any  too  well, 
and  I  think  you  ought  to  have  some  plan  to  guard  against 
any  surprise  in  the  middle  of  the  night." 

"Wall,"  said  Old  Yank,  "they  do  come  round  here 
quite  often.  They  seem  to  have  a  grudge  agin  me. 
P'raps  it's  fur  my  name  ;  but  then  I  alius  manage  to  git 
along  without  much  trouble.  Why,  one  night  half  a 
dozen  of  them  fellers  came  ridin'  up  here  an'  said  they'd 
come  fur  me,  an'  I'd  have  to  go  into  the  army;  but  I  jest 
reached  'round  the  door  and  pulled  out  my  Henry  rifle, 
an'  my  gals  understood  it  an'  got  their  double-barreled 
shotguns,  an'  I  jest  told  them  boys  I  had  lived  too  long 
in  the  mountains  to  be  scared  that  way,  an'  if  they  wanted 
to  stop  in  my  house  they  was  welcome,  but  if  they  laid 
hands  on  an  ole  man  like  me  they'd  never  do  it  agin,  fur 
my  gals  had  the  bead  on  'em.  One  of  'em  said  they 
didn't  want  any  trouble  ;  all  they  wanted  was  to  get  some 
supper.  You  see,"  continued  the  old  man,  with  a  chuckle, 
"  they  knowed  mighty  well  I  would  shoot,  an'  I  reckon 
they  didn't  want  to  be  laid  out  jist  then." 

I  said  I  didn't  wish  to  expose  them  to  any  danger. 
Rather  than  that  I  would  leave  their  house.  But  Old 
Yank  remarked,  sternly  :  "  Sonny,  you  stay  right  here  ! 
I  kin  take  keer  of  myself,  an'  you,  too  !  " 

Then  he  led  me  to  a  bed  that  seemed  indeed   luxuri- 


ir8  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

ous  after  the  night  I  had  passed  in  the  woods.  Caucus 
made  himself  comfortable  in  the  stable  with  the  horses. 
He  said  he  could  "  take  to  de  woods  quicker  from  de  barn 
den  de  house."  • 

CHAPTER    XV. 

THROUGH    THE    GAPS. 

The  next  morning  one  of  the  girls  came  hurriedly  in, 
and  after  a  whispered  conversation  with  her  father,  the 
old  gentleman  said  :  "  It  don't  seem  to  be  hospitable  to 
tell  you  to  git,  but  you  light  right  out.  My  darter  says 
she  heerd  from  a  passing  nigger  that  a  squad  of  Mor- 
gan's cavalry  is  coming  along  this  road.  Keep  dead 
north  'till  you  strike  the  bend  of  Cane  River  ;  then  go 
northeast,  and  a  little  before  you  get  to  Flat  Rock  in 
Mitchell  County  you'll  strike  Tittle's  place,  what  I  told 
you  about." 

Under  these  circumstances,  Caucus  having  brought 
the  horses  up,  we  started  out  at  a  pretty  lively  jog,  though 
we  could  not  make  very  fast  time,  for  it  was  raining 
heavily  and  the  road  became  very  muddy.  Meeting  one 
or  two  people,  of  whom  I  inquired  if  there  were  any  mules 
to  be  obtained  about  here,  as  I  was  getting  them  for  the 
Confederate  Government,  we  passed  along,  I  saying  I 
was  in  a  hurry  as  I  must  get  back  to  Raleigh  in  a  little 
over  a  week. 

During  the  day  I  spoke  to  the  negro,  telling  him  that 
he  had  better  return  to  South  Carohna  with  the  horses, 
as,  the  country  being  mountainous,  I  would  walk  almost 
as  fast  as  I  could  ride,  and  that  the  dangers  ahead  of  us 
were  very  great. 

*'  No,  sah  !  "  returned  Caucus,  showing  the  whites  of 
his  eyes.  "  Dis  chile  neber  goes  back  to  Carolina. 
Dars  freedom  ahead  of  him,  and  he's  gwine  to  git  dar, 
sure,  dis  time.  Can't  turn  me  back  now,  Massa  Bryant, 
not  eben  wid  a  six-shooter  ;  I  goes  wid  you  !  " 

And  so  he  did  for  nearly  two^  months  without  a  word 
of  complaint. 

After  traveling  up  hill  and  down  dale  for  a  couple  of 
hours,  we  came  to  the  bend  of  Cane  River  which  Caucus 
had  seen  before  ;  then  swinging  off  along  a  bridle-path, 


HOW    I    ESCAPED,  IIO 

that  led  to  the  northeast,  after  making  several  inquiries 
of  people  who  were  armed  and  looked  at  us  with  sus- 
picion, I  found  myself  in  view  of  my  stopping  place,  and 
to  my  surprise  saw  two  Union  soldiers  standing  in  front 
of  the  house.  1  was  informed  by  Mrs.  Tittle  as  I  rode 
up  that  her  husband  had  gone  to  the  mill  for  grist.  She 
seemed  very  embarrassed  until  I  came  up  to  her  and 
gave  her  the  grip  that  Old  Yank  had  shown  me. 

At  this,  apparently  having  lost  all  fear  of  me,  she  said 
that  these  two  soldiers  had  escaped  from  Salisbury 
prison,  and  were  making  their  way  to  the  Union  lines. 

I  suggested  to  these  men  that  for  their  own  safety  they 
had  better  immediately  change  their  clothes  for  those  of 
ordinary  citizens,  and  they,  having  a  few  greenbacks  in 
their  pockets,  managed  to  buy  from  the  family  enough  to 
clothe  them. 

Soon  after  this  Mr.  Tittle  returned,  and  told  us  we  had 
better  be  on  our  way,  as  some  cavalrymen  were  riding 
about  the  country  looking  up  deserters. 

He  said  :  "  The  best  thing  you  can  do  is  to  go  back, 
because  it  will  take  sand  in  your  gizzard  and  no  weak 
knees  to  tramp  between  here  and  Knoxville,  for  the 
rebels  around  would  just  as  soon  shoot  you  as  a  chicken, 
and  the  Unionists  ain't  no  better." 

I  said  :  "  I  must  go  through  !  " 

"  Very  well  ;  but  make  up  your  mind  it  is  better  to  get 
out  of  the  highways  and  go  over  the  hills  and  mountains. 
You  d  better  give  up  your  horses.'^ 

I  said  that  as  long  as  I  had  a  horse  I  would  keep  to 
the  highways. 

"  All  right,  then  ;  if  you  are  bound  on  the  job,  you  had 
better  go  straight  up  to  the  north  to  Little  Rock  Creek, 
leaving  Bakersville  to  your  left,  for  if  you  go  near 
Bakersville,  you'll  be  nabbed,  sure  !  " 

Thanking  him  for  his  advice  and  directions,  Caucus  and 
I  hurried  along  on  our  way,  into  a  driving  rain.  This 
storm,  as  we  went  along,  became  thicker  and  more  blind- 
ing. Caucus  had  left  all  his  knowledge  of  the  country 
behind  him  long  ago^  After  passing  along  several 
bridle-paths  that  seemed  to  lead  nowhere  in  particular, 
and  just  missing  descending  into  a  little  valley  in  which 
we  fortunately  in  time  saw  a  squad  of  six  mounted  men, 
doubtless  Confederate  scouts,  who  would  have  done  us 


I20  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

no  good,  we  turned  up  into  some  thick  undergrowth, 
the  boughs  of  which  made  an  uncertain  protection  from 
the  wind  and  the  storm.  Here  we  built  a  fire,  and  tried 
to  dry  our  clothes.  Then  we  got  something  to  eat  and 
lay  down  to  sleep  exhausted,  downhearted,  wet,  and 
miserable. 

The  next  morning  I  was  awakened  by  the  negro  shak- 
ing himself  like  a  dog,  and  slapping  his  arms  about. 
It  had  become  quite  cold.  The  rain  had  changed  into 
snow,  of  which  there  was  a  slight  fall  now  upon  the 
ground. 

''  By  gosh  !  I  mus'  git  somewhar,  or  I'll  freeze  to 
death,"'  said  Caucus.  "  The  snow  is  mighty  uncomfort- 
able." 

"Yes,"  I  replied,  "we  must  get  somewhere,  but  I 
don't  like  to  travel  in  this  snow.  It  will  enable  us  to  be 
tracked." 

However,  getting  on  our  horses,  after  taking  a  bite  of 
breakfast,  together  with  some  hot  coffee  that  we  suc- 
ceeded in  making  over  our  camp-fire,  we  pushed  along. 
Two  hours  afterward  we  could  see  from  an  elevated 
portion  of  the  road  a  clearing  and  some  farm-houses. 
These  we  made  for,  because  the  storm  had  so  increased  it 
was  now  unendurable.  Upon  reaching  one  of  the  houses, 
we  saw  no  one  but  women.  They  appeared  to  be  some- 
what frightened,  and  immediately  asked  if  I  was  a 
soldier.  I  told  them  I  was  not  now  on  a  warlike  mis- 
sion ;  that  they  need  not  be  uneasy.  Other  women  now 
made  their  appearance,  and  one  of  them  seemed  to  be 
in  such  distress  that  I  made  some  remark  to  her  about  it. 

"  Distress  ?  "  she  replied.  "  My  heavens  !  don't  you 
know  they  killed  my  husband  the  other  day  before  my 
eyes  ! " 

I  turned  away  from  her,  unable  to  say  anything  to 
such  grief.  The  others  informed  me  that  he  had  given 
information  to  some  of  the  Union  scouts  about  there  by 
which  a  Confederate  soldier  who  was  home  on  a  fur- 
lough from  the  army  of  Virginia  had  been  captured. 
That  for  this  a  party  of  bushwhackers  had  taken  him 
out  of  his  wife's  arms  in  the  middle  of  the  night,  and  shot 
him  to  death  in  front  of  the  door. 

In  this  place  the  storm  compelled  us  to  remain  all  that 
day  and  night. 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  12  1 

Anxious  to  get  away,  however,  Caucus  and  I  saddled 
up  early  in  the  morning  and  again  tried  to  force  our  way 
in  the  direction  that  Tittle  had  told  us  to  take.  The 
storm  came  up  again,  and  for  three  days  we  wandered 
about  this  part  of  the  country,  twice  camping  in  the 
open,  and  once  sleeping  in  the  house  of  a  man  who 
boasted  to  me  that  he  had  helped  lay  out  in  the  last  two 
weeks  three  or  four  Unionists.  With  this  man  I  made 
a  desperate  attempt  to  bargain  for  mules  "  for  the  Con- 
federate Government."  He  had  two  or  three,  but  I  need 
hardly  say  that  my  price  was  too  low  for  him. 

On  the  fourth  day  the  storm  cleared,  the  sun  came  out, 
and  we  turned  our  faces  westward.  We  had  come  much 
further  north  than  we  had  expected,  having  wandered  out 
of  our  path  and  being  almost  on  the  borders  of  Watauga 
and  Mitchell  counties. 

Passing  through  a  little  gap  in  the  mountains,  we 
came  on  a  plain  that  was  a  kind  of  base  to  the  mountain 
ranges  near  us  that  lay  on  either  hand  about  two  miles 
away.  Here  we  passed  a  farm  owned  by  a  gentleman 
who  was  an  officer  in  the  Confederate  army,  and  I 
pumped  a  man  working  on  the  place  about  the  roads  be- 
yond. He  had  heard  that  some  soldiers  were  in  the 
neighborhood,  but  didn't  exactly  know  where  they  were. 

We  went  southward  from  this  place,  following  a  narrow 
road,  from  which  the  snow  had  nearly  disappeared.  With 
this  I  was  delighted,  because  our  tracks  in  it  would  al- 
ways be  a  direction  for  any  party  who  wished  to  follow  us. 

After  half  an  hour's  travel  we  came  to  a  large  open 
field,  where,  to  my  astonishment,  I  heard  the  firing  of 
musketry. 

Caucus  whispered  :  "  Reckon  we'd  better  stop  and 
take  a  squint  at  dat  noise  !  " 

Dismounting  and  sheltering  ourselves  behind  a  rail 
fence,  we  were  able  to  discover  the  location  of  two  or 
three  men  by  the  flashes  and  smoke  from  their  guns. 
Beyond  them,  and  separated  from  them  by  a  deep 
ravine,  we  saw  one  or  two  other  men  return  the  fire 
from  a  clump  of  laurel  trees.  By  the  uniform  of  those 
nearest  to  us  I  judged  that  they  were  Confederate  cav- 
alrymen.    The  others  seemed  to  be  dressed  in  blue. 

I  had  hardly  made  this  observation,  when  I  heard  a 
yell  from  Caucus.    "  Golly  !    Dey's  after  us  !  "  and  look- 


122  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

ino^  down  the  road  perceived  five  or  six  troopers  coming 
along  the  tracks  we  had  made  in  the  melting  snow.  I 
might  have  paused,  surrendered  to  them,  and  tried  to 
have  made  out  my  case  as  being  all  right  ;  but  somehow 
or  other,  knowing  that  they  were  my  enemies,  my  pres- 
ence of  mind  left  me,  and,  followed  by  the  negro,  I  re- 
mounted my  horse  and  spurred  on  my  way.  This  was 
probably  the  worst  thing  I  could  have  done,  for  a  volley 
from  the  Confederate  cavalry  overtook  us,  and  killed  my 
horse  under  me.  Crying  to  Caucus  to  follow  me,  which 
he  did,  jumping  from  his  horse  for  that  purpose,  I  climbed 
over  the  rail  fence,  ran  through  the  undergrowth  and 
went  down  into  the  ravine,  which  I  crossed  to  the  other 
side. 

Here  I  had  a  moment's  breathing  space,  in  which  to 
regret  my  lack  of  presence  of  mind.  Had  I  remained 
and  faced  the  Confederate  cavalry,  I  could  probably 
have  persuaded  them  that  I  was  all  right.  Now,  having 
fled  from  them,  no  such  chance  was  open  to  me.  I 
looked  at  our  poor  horses,  one  dead,  and  the  other  in  the 
possession  of  the  Confederates,  and  had  the  sorry  satis- 
faction of  knowing  that,  with  the  exception  of  the  papers 
on  my  person,  my  two  pistols,  and  the  money  in  my 
pocket,  all  my  worldly  goods  were  in  the  hands  of  my 
pursuers.  However,  armed  as  we  were,  for  I  had  given 
one  of  my  six-shooters  to  the  negro,  I  concluded  that 
we  could  defend  the  ravine  against  any  horsemen  who 
should  attempt  to  cross  it.  These  thoughts  had  hardly 
passed  through  my  mind,  when  I  heard  a  voice  near  me, 
and  turning  round  saw  a  man  in  blue  uniform. 

He  said  :  "  I  reckon,  you  are  on  the  same  side  of  the 
gulch  as  we  are,  stranger.  Come  right  along,  and  help 
us  stand  the  cavalrymen  off !  " 

Caucus  and  I  silently  followed  him.  In  the  under- 
growth were  three  other  men,  one  of  them  in  the  uni- 
form of  a  lieutenant  in  the  Federal  army.  He  was  armed 
with  a  Henry  rifle,  and  replying  J:o  the  fire  of  three  or 
four  Confederate  troopers,  who  were  about  a  hundred 
and  fifty  yards  off.  on  the  other  side  of  the  ravine.  The 
lieutenant,  using  his  gun  with  great  accuracy,  kept  the 
Confederates  at  bay,  and  injured  one  of  them.  One 
of  his  men,  however,  was  wounded  also.  The  Confed- 
erates drew  off. 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  1 23 

"  Now,  boys,"  he  said,  "  we  must  get  through  to 
Steiner's  as  quickly  as  possible,  before  those  chaps  can 
get  around.     Follow  me  !  " 

Two  of  us  assisted  the  wounded  man,  who  had  a  ball 
through  his  leg  and  appeared  to  be  in  a  good  deal  of 
pain,  and  we  hurriedly  put  off  by  a  mountain  path, 
ascended  quite  a  hill,  and,  after  traveling  about  three 
miles,  descended  into  a  valley  occupied  by  Steiner,  a 
man  celebrated  in  that  region  for  his  Union  proclivities. 
The  Confederates  had  had  him  out  to  hang  him  once 
or  twice,  to  make  him  tell  the  hiding-place  of  Union 
refugees,  but  the  old  fellow  was  of  such  grit  that  they 
became  ashamed  of  torturing  him,  and  always   let  him 

^°- 

He   was   mending  a  wagon   in   his  blacksmith's   shop 

when  we  came  up. 

"  Wal,"  said  the  old  man,  "you  didn't  git  out  this  time, 
did  you  ?  You  North  Carolina  Union  boys,  born  right 
here,  an'  knowing  every  part  of  the  way  from  here  to 
Knoxville,  couldn't  get  through  Morgan's  cavalry  !  " 

"We  will  do  it  next  time,"  said  the  lieutenant.  "We 
have  brought  back  a  wounded  man  to  leave  him  with 
you." 

"All  right  ;  I'll  take  care  of  him  ;  but  who  are  these 
two  strangers  ?  " 

"  I  am  darned  if  I  know,  but  I  reckon  they  are  on  our 
side,  and  have  got  sand  in  them.  They  helped  us  stand 
off  Morgan's  cavalry.  As  for  the  nigger,  he's  a  red- 
head, and  that's  a  true  sign  of  fight.  This  gentleman's 
his  master,  I  reckon." 

"  Now,"  he  said,  turning  to  me,  "  I  suppose  you  are 
bound  the  same  way  we  are.  I  know  every  step  of  the  road 
from  here  to  Knoxville,  and  if  you  have  lost  your  horses 
you  had  better  join  us,  as  five  are  better  than  two,  to 
stand  off  any  scouting  parties.  Your  horses  would  not 
have  done  you  much  good  from  now  on,  as  you  would 
have  to  take  to  the  mountains,  for  none  of  our  side  can 
travel  the  roads  and  live  to  get  through." 

I  explained  to  the  lieutenant  and  Steiner  exactly  my 
position,  and  how  I  came  to  be  where  he  found  me. 

"  Very  well,  Mr.  Bryant,"  he  said  ;  "  I  can  put  you 
through  if  any  man  can.  Is  it  a  go  ?  "  and  he  offered  me 
his  hand. 


124  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

In  return,  I  gave  him  the  grip  Old  Yank  had  shown  me, 
and  Steiner  said  :  "  That's  the  talk  !  Now  I  knows  you 
are  square  and  right." 

The  party,  however,  was  too  worn  out  to  travel  that 
evening,  and  we  all  went  to  sleep  with  our  pistols  under 
our  heads  or  by  our  sides,  for  Morgan's  men  might  be 
upon  us  again  before  morning. 

We  were  now  in  a  very  rough  country.  The  Blue  Ridge 
towered  up  range  above  range  before  us,  and  presented 
a  grand  spectacle,  separated  by  gaps  through  which  the 
water  courses  ran  toward  the  Tennessee,  pointing  out 
to  us  the  way  to  the  Union  lines  through  which  many  of 
these  streams  ultimately  ran.  The  lieutenant  knew  every 
gap  and  water  course  in  these  mountains,  and  every  inch 
of  the  country  to  Knoxville  beyond  them.  This  was  for- 
tunate for  us,  as  Longstreet's  scouts  or  foragers  were  all 
through  this  region,  having  been  thrown  out  from  his 
army  now  before  Knoxville.  The  lieutenant  had  been 
detailed  to  go  through  this  part  of  the  country  to  gain  all 
the  information  he  could  for  the  commanding  officers  of 
the  Union  troops  in  the  valley  of  the  Tennessee. 

Though  a  cavalryman,  he  had  taken  this  perilous 
journey  on  foot,  as  he  could  travel  with  even  more  celer- 
ity and  less  danger  through  these  mountains  in  that  man- 
ner than  on  horseback.  He  was  active,  fearless,  and  an 
untiring  walker. 

Our  nrst  tramp  was  about  twelve  miles,  to  the  house 
of  Mr.  Middleton,  a  Union  man.  Here  the  lieutenant 
expected  to  meet  two  more  men  who  were  going  to 
attempt  to  pass  through  the  lines.  The  day  was  misty 
and  foggy,  and  a  little  snow  fell.  At  six  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon  we  stopped  at  a  house  near  the  roadside,  and 
had  some  hot  coffee,  made  as  usual  in  this  region  from 
chicory.  About  seven  o'clock  we  started  again  in  the 
rain,  and  two  hours  afterward  moved  down  into  a  little 
valley  about  half  a  mile  in  width,  the  land  being  culti- 
vated by  two  or  three  different  farmers.  The  lieutenant  told 
me  that  one  of  the  farmers  had  a  son  in  the  Union  army, 
while  his  neighbor  had  one  in  the  Confederate,  as  was 
often  the  case  in  the  border  States. 

After  leaving  this  place  about  a  mile  and  a  half,  we 
met  two  citizens  on  horseback.  One  of  them  asked  us 
where  we  were   bound.     We  told  him  most  anywhere. 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  1 25 

He  replied.  *'  You  will  meet  with  a  great  big  hinderer 
that  will  bother  you,  if  you  don't  mind." 

"  What  is  that  ?  "  asked  the  lieutenant. 

"The  Regulars." 

"  Who  and  what  are  Regulars  ? " 

"  Oh  !  they  just  go  about  and  catch  anybody  they  can 
lay  their  hands  on.  Sometimes  they  take  a  man  out  and 
shoot  him  ;  sometimes  they  hang  him.  A  hundred  yards 
from  here  we  can  show  you  a  tree  where  they  hung  a 
man.  Our  advice  is  for  you  to  watch  out,  or  they  will  get 
you  sartin." 

With  these  words  the  two  men  rode  off,  but  I  noticed 
that  the  lieutenant  had  his  pistol  out  and  watched  them. 
He  told  me  he  thought  they  might  be  the  advance  guard 
of  the  Regulars.  He  kept  his  eye  on  them,  so  that  if 
they  did  attempt  to  fire  on  us  as  they  rode  away,  he  would 
have  "the  drop"  on  them.  After  we  had  gone  on  a  few 
yards,  the  lieutenant  said  that  we  had  better  leave  the 
roads  at  once  and  get  up  on  the  mountains.  To  this, 
knowing  the  desperate  character  of  the  so-called  "  Regu- 
lars," we  all  assented,  and  taking  a  very  circuitous  route 
through  the  roughest  of  ravines  and  over  the  highest  and 
rockiest  of  hills,  we  arrived  at  Middleton's  about  eleven 
o'clock  in  the  evening. 

Middleton  knew  our  lieutenant,  and  invited  us  into  the 
house,  which  was  on  a  little  elevated  ground  at  the  fork 
of  two  roads.  Here  we  found  the  two  men  who  were 
going  with  us  through  to  Knoxville.  They  lived  in  an 
adjoining  county,  and  had  been  dodging  about  for  several 
months  to  keep  out  of  the  Confederate  army.  This  made 
our  company  seven  men,  with  the  lieutenant  to  guide 
us,  in  whom  I  soon  began  to  have  very  great  confi- 
dence. 

The  country  about  us,  Mr.  Middleton  said,  was  alive 
with  Confederate  scouts  and  bushwhackers,  and  he  rec- 
ommended that  we  should  not  remain  there  that  night. 
After  consultation  we  decided  to  take  his  advice,  and  to 
get  an  old  hunter,  Zeke  Carter,  to  pilot  us  across  some 
twelve  or  fifteen  miles  to  a  road  intercepting  the  one  we 
had  left.  Zeke  was  an  old  bear  hunter,  and  lived  in  a  log 
hut  about  two  miles  up  in  the  hills.  Our  host  volunteered 
to  guide  us  there,  and  resuming  our  walk,  after  crossing 
a  stream,  we  reached  Zeke's  house.    A  faint  light  coming 


126  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

through  the  crevasses  between  the  logs  showed  us  he 
was  at  home. 

Middleton  hallooed,  and  Zeke  came  to  the  door.  Then 
we  agreed,  after  some  haggling,  to  pay  him  twenty  dol- 
lars for  his  services — a  sum  of  money  that  made  the  old 
mountaineer's  eyes  twinkle.  He  was  a  hard-featured, 
stoop-shouldered,  long,  gray-bearded  customer,  with 
piercing  black  eyes.  He  mvited  us  into  his  cabin,  while 
he  cooked  the  rations  for  his  trip,  which  he  told  us  would 
last,  probably,  three  or  four  days. 

Upon  the  walls  of  his  domicile  were  deer-horns,  and 
bear  and  coonskins,  which  told  of  the  old  fellow's  suc- 
cess with  his  rifle  in  the  mountains. 

Leaving  his  house  about  midnight,  he  remarked  : 
"  Well,  boys,  we've  got  a  good-sized  hill  to  climb  !  "  and 
shouldering  his  old-fashioned  rifle,  told  us  to  follow  him, 
which  we  did,  in  single  file.  After  a  terrific  tramp  of 
about  ten  miles  over  rocks  that  cut  my  boots  into  pieces, 
and  once  getting  lost  from  the  party,  and  having  a 
great  deal  of  trouble  to  find  them  in  the  darkness,  I, 
together  with  the  rest,  came  to  what  Zeke  said  was  a 
good  place  to  camp. 

This  was  uttered  in  low  tones,  to  avoid  attracting  the 
notice  of  bushwhackers,  for  our  route  led  into  the  **  Sweet 
Water  valley,"  which  Zeke  remarked  was  one  of  their 
breeding  places. 

We  were  nearly  at  the  end  of  our  journey  for  the  night, 
when  Zeke  cried  :  "  Halt,   Gol  darn  you  !    Halt  !  " 

"  Well,  what  is  it  ? "  came  out  of  the  darkness  from  a 
man  a  few  paces  in  advance  of  us. 

"  Who  are  you?"  inquired  Zeke. 

"  Well,  we  are  scouting  around,  and,  if  you  say  so,  we 
are  friends." 

"  How  many  of  you  ?  " 

"  Only  two  !  " 

"  Where  are  you  going  ?  "  asked  the  lieutenant,  coming 
forward. 

"  Oh,  we're  going  about,  and  I  shouldn't  wonder 
if  you  were  like  u.s.  Ain't  you  men  going  to  the 
lines  ? " 

To  this  the  lieutenant  cautiously  replied  that  we  were 
taking  in  the  country,  but  Zeke,  who  was  of  an  impatient 
disposition,  said,  "  By  the  etarnal  !  there's  no  use  fooling 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  127 

around  here  !  You  come  with  us,  and  we'll  soon  know 
you,  or  you  will  know  us  ! " 

As  we  were  eight  men  and  they  were  but  two,  hesita- 
tion on  their  part  was  out  of  the  question.  We  treated 
them  as  prisoners,  and  soon  marched  them  to  the  spot 
that  old  Zeke  had  picked  out  for  our  camp.  This  was  a 
level  spot  of  ground  in  horse-shoe  shape,  about  fifty  feet  in 
diameter,  standing  against  a  rocky  cliff,  over  which  a 
stream  of  pure  mountain  water  descended. 

This  place  overlooked  a  little  valley,  between  the  Iron 
and  Yellow  mountains,  and  was  much  frequented  by  hunt- 
ers and  travelers,  as  it  afforded  such  fine  water.  Upon 
examination,  the  two  men  we  had  overtaken  proved 
themselves  all  right,  and,  appointing  pickets  to  relieve 
each  other,  we  lay  down,  worn  out  with  nearly  twenty- 
two  hours'  steady  tramping.  In  fact,  as  Caucus  remarked, 
as  he  snuggled  up  to  the  camp  fire,  "  Dis  road  to  freedom 
am  a  mighty  hard  one  to  trabel." 

Too  exhausted  to  sleep,  I  lay  awake,  for  some  time  my 
thoughts  turning  back  over  the  mountains  to  the  south 
of  me,  trying  to  imagine  how  my  wife  had  fared  in  the 
two  weeks  I  had  already  been  away  from  her. 

When  I  awoke  it  was  mid-day.  As  we  prepared  break- 
fast, I  looked  out  over  the  ledge  above  which  we  were 
encamped,  and  seemed  to  see  a  thousand  mountains  in 
this  Switzerland  of  America. 

Our  guide  now  told  us  that  it  was  about  seven  miles 
over  the  hills  to  the  place  where  he  would  leave  us. 
These  seven  miles  seemed  an  immense  distance  to  me. 
My  feet  were  sore,  my  shoes  were  coming  to  pieces.  My 
appearance  was  that  of  a  not  over  genteel  tramp,  as  I  had 
not  shaved  since  leaving  Spartanburg.  However,  I  fol- 
lowed the  party  down  the  steep  descents  and  up  the  high 
hills  again,  repeating  the  operation  several  times  before 
we  reached  our  stopping  place. 

In  about  half  an  hour's  travel  we  came  to  a  public  road, 
which  we  were  compelled  to  cross. 

(doming  from  the  direction  of  French  Broad  River  in 
Tennessee,  it  ran  into  Mitchell  County  in  North  Carolina. 
Old  Zeke  instructed  us  to  walk  over  this  road  backward, 
so  that  our  tracks  would  mislead  people  as  to  the  direc- 
tion in  which  we  were  traveling. 

After    this    piece   of   strategy    nothing   happened   of 


128  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

importance  until  we  came  in  sight  of  an  old  clump  of 
trees,  when  old  Zeke  told  us  of  a  terrific  combat  he  had 
had  with  a  bear,  which  had  nearly  whipped  him.  In 
fact,  the  old  man's  arms  had  not  even  now  entirely 
recovered  from  the  hugs  that  Bruin  had  given  them. 

Passing  a  simple  shanty  occupied  by  a  squatter,  who 
apparently  was  too  old  to  fight,  but  of  whose  feelfngs  and 
sympathies  there  was  no  doubt,  for  he  cursed  us  for 
Union  men  as  we  tramped  past,  we  paused  to  look  at  a 
valley  below,  through  which  coursed  the  beautiful  Doe 
River.  It  must  have  been  eight  or  ten  miles  away,  but 
looked  very  lovely  in  the  distance  with  the  afternoon 
sunlight  upon  it.  As  we  trudged  up  to  the  crest  of  the 
hill,  on  leaving  this  spot,  the  lieutenant  suddenly  paused. 

I  thought  he  had  noticed  some  of  the  enemy  ahead, 
but  instead  of  that,  he  pointed  to  the  west  and  said  : 
"  The  first  sight  of  Tennessee  !  " 

Looking  toward  the  place  he  indicated,  we  could 
see  the  Bald  Mountain  of  the  "  Smoky  Ridge  "  that 
divided  North  Carolina  from  its  more  western  neighbor. 

While  drinking  in  the  view  of  this,  to  us,  "Promised 
Land,"  old  Zeke  said  :  "  Wal,  boys,  I'm  going  to  get 
back  to  my  shanty,  but  I'll  shake  a  fist  with  you  all,  first. 
Keep  your  eyes  open  and  your  powder  dry  !  That's  what 
you  want.     Good-by  !  " 

With  this  the  old  frontiersman  turned  upon  his  tracks, 
and  striding  down  the  path,  was  soon  out  of  our  sight. 

It  was  now  getting  dark,  and  we  determined  after 
dinner  that  we  would  start  again  on  our  way.  The  route 
was  directly  over  the  ridge  of  the  mountains,  and  we  had 
but  little  difficulty  in  making  the  three  miles,  which 
brought  us  to  the  house  occupied  by  Mr,  Cunningham,  a 
good  Union  man  to  whom  we  had  been  directed  by  the 
guide, 

Cunningham  advised  us  to  be  very  careful  and  not 
travel  by  the  road,  as  he  had  heard  of  several  scouts  or 
Confederate  cavalrymen  being  in  the  immediate  neigh- 
borhood ;  so  after  supper  we  concluded  to  go  on  at  once 
through  the  night. 

Tempted,  however,  by  the  easy  traveling  on  this  high- 
way, we  disregarded  Cunningham's  advice  and  determined 
to  travel  upon  it,  though  it  greatly  increased  our  risk.  We 
kept  on  close  together,  sending  Caucus  a  hundred  yards 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  1 29 

ahead  to  act  as  scout,  as  we  knew  a  negro  would  create 
less  suspicion  with  Confederate  soldiers  than  a  white 
man. 

We  had  hardly  gone  this  way  half  an  hour  when  Cau- 
cus came  softly  back  to  us  and  remarked  :  "  Golly  !  dar's 
voices  ahead  ob  us." 

The  lieutenant  went  with  him  and  reconnoitered  ;  but 
hearing  nothing,  we  started  on. 

Hardly  had  we  reached  the  top  of  the  ridge  and  be 
come  outlined  on  the  sky,  when  two  or  three  shots  whizzed 
past  us  from  a  clump  of  trees.  We  knew  that  we 
were  ambushed,  but  could  see  nothing  of  our  enemies, 
though  another  volley  came  in  our  direction.  The  night 
was  dark,  and,  by  thie  lieutenant's  orders,  we  had  thrown 
ourselves  on  the  ground  ;  consequently  none  of  us  were 
hart. 

"  Boys  !  "  said  the  lieutenant,  "all  of  you  shoot  two  or 
three  barrels,  and  we  will  make  them  think  there  is  a 
'whole  company  here." 

The  banging  of  our  pistols  sounded  like  the  regular  file 
firing  from  a  platoon. 

"  Another  shot  each,  and  then  follow  me  !  " 

We  fired  one  more  volley,  which  was  returned,  then 
followed  the  lieutenant,  who  left  the  road  and  started  up 
the  mountain.  After  a  little,  the  lieutenant  said  :  "  Now 
boys,  hurry  to  the  gap,  and  get  through  to  the  other  side 
of  this  range.  It  will  be  some  five  or  six  miles  out  of 
our  way,  but  we  must  get  there  before  those  fellows  ; 
otherwise  we  will  have  another  fight  for  it." 

He  had  been  through  this  portion  of  the  country  be- 
fore, and  knew  the  roads  almost  by  instinct ;  so  up  hill  and 
down  hill  we  followed  him  with  sore  and  .weary  feet. 

This  was  especially  so  in  my  case.  I  had  not  been 
accustoned  to  traveling  on  foot,  and  kept  up  with 
great  difficulty  with  the  others,  for  my  shoes,  being  worn 
out,  filled  with  gravel  and  dirt  at  every  step.  But  at 
last  coming  to  a  little  running  stream,  we  all  sat  down 
for  a  short  rest,  and  I  washed  my  feet  in  the  cold  water 
and  wrapped  them  in  cloth  torn  from  the  lining  of  my 
coat.  ■  This  relieved  them  somewhat,  and  we  again 
started  on  our  journey.  Nearing  the  gap  about  day- 
break, to  our  consternation  there  were  three  or  four 
lights  right  down  in  it. 

9 


130  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

"  Camp-fires,"  said  the  lieutenant.  "  We  can't  get 
through  there,  and  this  is  the  only  place  we  can  cross 
without  going  around  by  Littleton's,  three  miles  more. 
Shall  we  try  it  to-night,  boys  ? " 

The  general  verdict  Avas  against  this,  for  we  were  in 
no  condition  for  rapid  traveling,  and  if  discovered  by  a 
superior  force,  would  be  sure  to  be  captured.  So  we 
turned  out  of  the  path,  and,  finding  a  place  in  a  deep 
ravine,  made  a  camp,  though  we  dared  not  light  any 
fire. 

After  drawing  straws  to  see  who  should  stand  guard, 
all  but  the  picket  lay  down,  and  I  soon  forgot  that  1  was 
a  refugee  in  the  mountains  of  North  Carolina. 

It  seemed  to  me  that  I  had  hardly  slept  a  minute 
before  the  guard  came  and  touched  me  on  the  shoulder. 
I  woke  with  a  start.  Some  Confederate  troopers  were 
riding  along  the  road  not  two  hundred  yards  from  us. 

Fortunately  they  did  not  notice  us,  and  about  dusk 
next  day  we  resumed  our  journey  to  the  house  of  a- 
family  who  lived  in  the  gap,  and  were  friends  of  cur  lieu- 
tenant. 

They  advised  us  not  to  rem.iin,  as  the  cavalry  would 
undoubtedly  return  before  long,  and  recommended  us 
to  go  to  Jim  Boles'  house,  who  would  direct  us  on  our 
way. 

As  we  came  near  that  gentleman's  front  fence,  Mr. 
Boles  came  to  the  door,  gun  in  hand,  and  shouted,  "  Who's 
thar  ?  " 

"  Come  out  here,  Jim,  I  want  to  see  you  !  "  said  the 
lieutenant. 

"  Pshaw  !  "  returned  Boles.  "  That  trick  is  played  too 
often.     What  do  you  want,  and  who  are  you  ?  " 

"  1  am  Lieutenant  Hanson,  of  the  Fifth  Kentucky 
Union  Cavalry,  whom  you  well  know." 

"■  Oh,  yes  ;  I  recognize  your  voice,"  replied  Boles. 
"  Come  right  in,  and  bring  your  crowd  with  you.  It's 
lucky  you  applied  to  me,  or  you  would  have  been  in  the 
Rebs'  hands  inside  of  an  hour.  There's  a  camp  of  'em 
about  three  miles  from  here,  and  you  have  got  to  go  around 
by  Mix's  place."  This  meant  a  walk  of  about  fifteen 
extra  miles. 

Boles'  two  daughters,  sixteen  and  eighteen,  strong  and 
healthy,  volunteered  to  pilot  us.      Our  lieutenant  was 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  131 

not  exactly  sure  of  this  part  of  the  route,  so  he  said,  '*  All 
right,  girls;  I'll  take  you  as  guides,  but  you  must  let  me 
pay  for  it  !  " 

"  No,  sifee,  not  a  cent  !  "  they  cried.  "  Let's  go  now  !  " 

"  What,  to-night  ?     We  are  fearfully  tired." 

"  If  you  don't  go  now,  you  won't  go  at  all.  You'll  be 
bagged  sure  in  the  daytime." 

There  was  nothing  for  it,  tired,  worn  out  and  hungry 
as  we  were,  but  to  travel  fifteen  long  and  weary  miles 
that  night.  The  girls  said  they  would  go  in  advance 
about  thirty  or  forty  yards,  carrying  a  white  handkerchief, 
and  whenevei"  they  waved  this,  we  were  to  halt  and  wait 
for  instructions. 

We  made  about  three  miles  the  first  hour,  without  any 
interruption  ;  then  saw  two  camp-fires,  and  the  girls  came 
back  to  us,  and  said  we  would  have  to  go  a  little  higher 
up  the  mountain  in  order  to  get  through  the  gap  without 
being  discovered.  Notwithstanding  we  did  this,  we  soon 
came  so  close  to  these  fires  that  we  got  a  very  good  view 
of  the  picket  on  his  beat.  We  saw  a  dozen  tents,  and 
beside  them  some  soldiers  cooking  by  the  fire,  and  others 
playing  cards.  A  few  hundred  yards  further  on  the  girls 
stopped  and  waved  their  handkerchiefs,  then  returned, 
and  said  there  were  some  men  on  the  roadside  by  a  fire 
partially  burned  out. 

Taking  us  back  a  short  distance,  they  ascended  a  little 
path  that  wound  around  the  side  of  the  mountains,  very 
steep  and  difficult,  but  by  which  we  soon  passed  the 
enemy  who  lay  below  us  not  three  hundred  feet.  The 
thick  bushes  and  flinty  rocks  of  the  path  tortured  my 
sore  and  blistered  feet,  continually  reminding  me  of  what 
"  Old  Yank  "  had  said  to  me, — that  "Jordan  was  a  hard 
road  to  travel."  Trudging  along  as  well  as  I  was  able,  at 
last  we  came  to  a  bridge  that  crossed  a  mountain  torrent. 

Here  the  lieutenant  said  he  would  wager  that  more 
men  had  been  shot  and  killed  to  the  square  foot  in  this 
section,  than  anywhere  else  in  the  United  States. 

To  this  pleasant  assertion  none  of  us  replied.  We 
were  probably  weighing  in  our  minds  the  individual  pos- 
sibilities of  our  being  added  to  the  number.  After 
another  tiresome  climb,  we  crossed  the  ridge,  and  keep- 
ing straight  down  until  daylight,  arrived  at  the  house  of 
Mr.  Mix,  to  whom  our  youthful  and  faithful  guides  pre- 


132  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

sented  us  as  guests  for  the  day.  Here  we  met  two  more 
men  who  were  seeking  to  avoid  conscription  in  the  rebel 
army  by  making  their  way  through  the  Hnes  to  Knox- 
viile. 

The  whole  party  were  too  tired  and  exhausted  to  think 
of  travehng,  and  we  conckided  to  lie  over  with  this  hospi- 
table mountaineer  for  two  days,  and  then,  owing  to  the 
sickness  of  one  of  our  party,  a  West  Virginian,  an  addi- 
tional twenty-four  hours. 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

THROUGH    THE    LINES. 

1'his  delay  was  very  welcome  to  me,  as  my  feet  were 
in  a  fearful  condition  and  my  boots  were  falling  off 
them. 

I  divided  my  time  at  this  stopping  place  between 
sleeping  and  an  attempt  at  the  cobbler's  trade,  repairing 
my  footgear  with  the  aid  of  Caucus,  who  was  much  more 
expert  at  this  work  than  I. 

The  two  girls  who  had  piloted  us  so  devotedly  over 
the  mountains  remained  here  a  few  days,  Mr.  Mix 
offering  to  take  them  home  again  in  his  wagon, 

P>ery  night  we  gathered  around  the  big  log  fire  in  the 
house,  telling  stories  about  our  adventures  during  the 
war.  On  one  of  these  evenings  I  was  astonished  to 
hear  our  lieutenant  state  that  he  had  had  a  brother  in 
the  Confederate  army  who  was  killed  at  Shiloh,  while 
leading  his  company  against  a  Federal  battery.  But 
it  was  thus  throughout  western  North  Carolina — family 
was  opposed  to  family,  and  brother  was  against  brother. 

On  the  third  night  of  our  rest  at  this  place  the  lieu- 
tenant and  Mr.  Mix  both  became  very  anxious.  They  said 
that  we  had  remained  so  long  here  that  the  chances  were 
that  some  Confederate  troop  must  pass  soon  ;  conse- 
quently our  guards  must  be  constantly  on  the  alert. 

'-'  Vou  see,"  Hanson  said,  "if  Schofield  crowds  Long- 
street  all  his  soldiers  will  be  called  in,  and  some  will  be 
bound  to  pass  here.  Now,  I'm  pretty  sure  Schofield  will 
be  crowding  Longstreet  about  this  time  !  " 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  133 

My  turn  for  picket  duty  came  at  three  in  the  morn- 
ing. I  was  posted  about  a  hundred  yards  from  the  house 
in  which  our  men  slept,  dressed  and  armed.  The  moon 
was  still  bright,  though  rapidly  descending  to  disappear 
behind  the  mountain  tops. 

I  had  watched  perhaps  an  hour,  when  I  heard  a  sound 
of  horses'  hoofs  at  a  distance  ;  then,  after  listening  a 
moment,  the  clank  of  sabers.  I  looked  up  the  road, 
and  in  the  full  moonlight  counted,  perhaps  half  a  mile 
away,  twelve  cavalrymen,  riding  leisurely  toward  the 
house. 

In  a  minute  more  I  had  aroused  my  party.  "  We  can 
fix  them  from  behind  that  stone  wall,"  muttered  the  lieu- 
tenant. "  We're  nine,  they're  only  twelve.  Follow  me  !  " 
but  as  he  gave  this  order  his  glance  fell  upon  Mr.  Mix's 
wife  and  children,  and  the  two  girls.      Then  he  paused. 

"  Don't  mind  us  !  "  muttered  Mix  between  his  set 
teeth. 

**  But  I  must,— think  of  your  little  ones,  man.  If  we 
whipped  those  fellows  at  your  house,  when  we'd  gone 
they'd  come  back  and  take  revenge  upon  you  and  yours. 
We  don't  repay  hospitality  that  way." 

"  God  bless  you  !  "  cried  Mrs.  Mix.  *'  Go  up  that  stream, 
and  when  the  rebs  go,  I'll  bring  you  all  breakfast." 

"  Follow  me,  men,  quick  !  "  muttered  our  commander, 
"  We'll  retreat  now,  but  we'll  not  retreat  always  !  " 

We  silently  followed  him  out  of  the  rear  of  the  house, 
and  obeying  Mrs.  Mix's  instructions,  were  concealed  be- 
fore the  Confederates  arrived.  Shortly  after  daybreak 
one  of  the  girls  came  out  and  found  us.  She  said  the 
rebs  had  gone  on,  and  that  Mrs.  Mix  would  now  bring  us 
our  breakfast.  This  she  did  in  about  half  an-  hour.  As 
soon  as  this  was  finished,  the  lieutenant  ordered  a  start, 
and  we  bade  our  hospitable  friends  good-by.  Though 
we  tried  again  and  again  to  make  them  accept  something 
from  us,  for  all  they  had  done  for  us,  this  was  refused, 
and  the  two  beautiful  girls  even  became  indignant  at 
our  offered  remuneration  for  their  dangerous  all-night 
tramp  with  us  through  the  gap. 

We  were  now  in  the  western  part  of  Mitchell  County, 
and  had  next  to  cross  through  the  valley  lying  between 
the  Nolachucky  River,  and  the  dividing  line  between 
Tennessee  and  North  Carolina.     A  portion  of  our  route 


134  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

now  lay  along  this  stream  which  empties  into  the  French 
Broad  in  the  northern  part  of  Cooke  County,  Tennessee, 
this  being  the  most  direct  way  to  the  Big  Smoky  or  Bald 
Mountains. 

Thus  we  traveled  until  about  three  o'clock.  At  one 
point,  where  the' river  takes  a  bend  of  nearly  two  miles, 
we  forded  it,  and  near  the  center  found  it  some  three 
feet  deep.  We  had  hardly  got  out  and  dressed,  before 
two  white  men  and  a  negro  walked  down  a  little  path  to 
the  place  where  we  had  entered  the  stream.  Our  lieu- 
tenant called  out  and  asked  the  men  who  they  were,  and 
what  they  came  there  for.  One  of  them  replied  that 
they  had  seen  us  from  a  small  log  shanty  at  the  top  of 
the  hill.  They  noticed  that  we  were  .not  soldiers,  and 
consequently  thought  that  we  were  refugees.  They 
were  of  that  class  themselves,  and  said  they  had  come 
back  from  the  Nolachucky  gap  because  they  had  found 
it  guarded,  and  they  could  not  get  through,  witJiout  going 
over  the  Bald  Mountains,  which  were  the  highest  and 
roughest  in  the  State. 

It  was  evident  now  that  we  either  had  to  run  the 
gauntlet  of  Confederate  soldiers  in  this  gap,  or  do 
some  of  the  hardest  work  of  our  journey.  The  men  who 
gave  us  this  information  refused  to  go  on  with  us,  as  it 
was  too  dangerous. 

Our  lieutenant,  however,  said  :  "  There's  nothing  like 
trying  !  "  and  taking  his  advice,  our  whole  party  started 
along  a  road  at  which  we  had  just  arrived. 

Its  pleasant  smoothness,  so  different  to  the  flinty  rocks 
of  the  hillsides,  soothed  our  fears  of  immediate  danger, 
and  we  concluded  to  try  it  for  a  mile  or  two,  though  it 
was  a  place  from  which,  if  we  encountered  superior  num- 
bers, there  was  no  escape.  The  rushing  river  was  on  one 
side  of  the  road,  and  a  steep  cliff  upon  the  other. 

We  had  hardly  proceeded  more  than  a  mile,  before  the 
lieutenant,  who  marched  a  hundred  yards  ahead  of  us, 
came  running  back,  and  said  :  "  Great  Scott  !  half  a 
dozen  troopers  are  coming  down  the  road.  We  can't 
run  ;  we  must  stand  'em  off,  though  I  fear  the  noise  of 
the  firing  '11  bring  a  crowd  of  them  onto  us!  Every  man 
of  you  behind  a  rock,  and  obey  orders  !  " 

Caucus  had  already  done  this,  getting  into  the  stream, 
the  bank  of  which  and  the  trees  on  its  border  formed  a 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  I35 

perfect  ambush.  "  Come  right  heah,  Massa  Bryant  !  " 
he  cried,  his  teeth  chattering  with  the  ice-cold  water  that 
had  been  melting  snow  the  day  before.  Every  rock  had 
its  man.  I  had  not  a  moment  to  lose,  and  jumped  into 
the  river  beside  the  negro  as  the  squad  of  Confederates 
turned  the  bend  in  the  road. 

Every  one  held  his  breath,  they  had  nearly  passed  us 
when,  unfortunately.  Caucus'  teeth,  stimulated  by  the  icy 
water,  began  to  play  like  castanets,  making  a  perceptible 
noise. 

"  Gol  darn  it,  what's  that  ? "  cried  a  Confederate 
trooper  and  the  squad  paused  to  listen. 

"  Darn  me  if  it  ain't  a  rattlesnake  out  in  winter,"  said 
another,  and  he  rode  into  the  bushes  on  the  bank  of 
the  stream. 

"  Fire  !  "  cried  our  lieutenant. 

And  a  shot  came  from  every  rock  about  the  surprised 
soldiers. 

The  man  who  had  turned  into  the  bushes,  yelled, 
*'  Here's  one  of  them  !  "  and  drawing  his  saber,  jumped 
his  horse  into  the  river  to  attack  Caucus.  At  that 
moment  my  revolver  and  the  lieutenant's  Henry  rifle 
spoke,  and  the  man  and  horse  floundered  in  the  stream. 
Wounded  as  he  was,  the  trooper  seized  the  negro,  but 
Caucus  fought  like  a  demon,  using  the  butt  of  his  revolver 
as  a  club — apparently  having  forgotten  to  fire  it. 

But  if  the  negro  neglected  the  proper  use  of  his  weapon, 
the  others  of  our  party  did  not  ;  and  taken  by  surprise, 
attacked  apparently  by  a  greater  force,  five  soldiers 
spurred  for  their  lives  down  the  road,  while  the  body  of 
their  comrade  floated  drowning  in  the  stream  beside 
them. 

"Quick,  men  !  "  yelled  the  lieutenant.  "  Out  of  here 
like  lightning  !  There'll  be  a  hundred  men  scouring  this 
road  in  ten  minutes  !  " 

We  needed  no  warning,  but  hurrying  along  after  him 
a  few  hundred  yards,  came  to  a  place  where  the  hills 
were  not  so  steep,  and  leaving  the  road,  scrambled  up 
the  precipice  for  some  time  ;  then,  crossing  the  ridge, 
took  refuge  in  a  dense  •thicket  of  a  second  growth  of 
pine  and  fir  trees  that  formed  an  excellent  cover.  Here, 
placing  a  guard  to  prevent  surprise,  we  lighted  a  fire, 
beside  which  Caucus  and  I  dried  our  clothes,  while  the 


136  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

Others  cooked  our  meal,  and  determined  upon  our  future 
movements. 

The  lieutenant  now  said  that  he  should  try  the  gap 
that  night,  going  well  up  on  the  mountain  side,  to  avoid 
the  troops  that  occupied  it. 

"  To-night  ! "  most  of  us  groaned,  for  we  were  fear- 
fully tired. 

"  Certainly  !  to-night !  To-morrow  the  news  of  this 
fight  '11  be  there,  and  we'll  have  no  chance  of  getting 
through — it  is  a  close  call  even  now  !  " 

We  cooked  a  day's  rations,  as  we  would  not  be  able  to 
halt  again  till  noon  the  next  day,  so  our  officer  told  us. 

Then  we  struggled  on  after  this  indomitable  fellow, 
Caucus  grunting  as  he  trudged  by  my  side  :  "  Dis  am  a 
reckliss  country,  'pears  to  me,  Massa  Bryant,  round  heah. 
Dey'd  jist  as  soon  kill  a  nigger  as  a  white  man." 

After  a  while  the  lieutenr.nt  ordered  us  to  all  stop 
talking.  We  were  entering  the  gap  through  which  the 
Nolachucky  passes  into  Tennessee.  Soon  below  us  in 
the  valley,  as  we  tramped  along  the  hillside,  we  could  see 
camp-fire  after  camp-fire  of  the  Confederate  scouts  guard- 
ing this  notch  in  the  mountain.  We  were  not  much 
alarmed  at  this,  however,  as  cavalry  could  hardly  follow  us 
over  the  rocks  in  the  darkness  of  the  night,  and  our  officer 
seemed  to  know  every  bypath  of  this  part  of  the  country. 

Getting  through  this  pass,  near  morning,  the  lieutenant 
informed  us  we  were  now  in  Tennessee. 

*'  Praise  de  Lord  !  de  Promised  Land  !  "  cried  Caucus. 

"  Well,  Cauk,  you'll  find  it  the  cussedest,  hardest 
Promised  Land  you  ever  struck.  Look  out,  or  they'll 
have  you  over  Jordan  !  "  muttered  our  leader  as  he 
passed  the  word  to  march  on. 

We  were  leaving  the  Smoky  range  behind  us.  In  a  week 
or  two  our  fate  must  be  decided  ;  but  as  we  descended 
the  mountain  into  the  valley  of  the  Nolachucky,  I  could 
see  light  upon  light,  indicating  more  camps  of  soldiers, 
evidences  that  every  step  we  advanced  added  to  our 
danger  of  death,  or  capture.  As  day  broke,  we  halted 
and  went  into  camp  in  another  secluded  spot.  Here  we 
remained  in  hiding  until  darkness  came  on  again  to  con- 
ceal us  from  Confederate  patrols. 

During  the  next  two  days  we  turned  north  to  avoid 
the  highway  running  toward  Jonesborough,  the  country 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  1 37 

being  mostly  level,  though  we  sometimes  encountered  a 
spur  of  the  Bald  Mountains.  We  were  compelled  to  this 
roundabout  course,  as  every  high-road,  cross-road  and 
ferry  was  guarded  by  regular  soldiers.  Reaching  Indian 
River,  we  were  fearfully  hungry,  having  had  nothing  to 
eat  for  over  twenty-four  hours.  Seeing  a  house  near 
by,  I  gave  Caucus  a  dollar  greenback  and  sent  him  to 
negotiate  for  provisions,  as  I  thought  a  negro  would  cre- 
ate less  suspicion  than  a  white  man. 

The  black  being  "  fighting  hungry,"  would  have  faced 
anything  for  a  meal,  and  started  off  eagerly. 

We  watched  the  house  and  saw  Caucus  enter,  the  door 
being  opened  for  him  by  a  woman.  After  a  few  minutes 
he  came  out,  traveling  rapidly,  but  loaded  with  all  kinds 
of  eatables. 

Five  minutes  after  the  woman  came  running  out,  appar- 
ently in  the  wildest  excitement  and  rage,  but  Caucus  had 
passed  from  her  view. 

When  he  came  into  camp  the  amount  of  provisions  he 
had  astounded  me — a  sack  of  flour,  a  side  of  bacon,  two 
pans  of  biscuits,  three  dozen  hard  boiled  eggs,  a  ham,  and 
a  lot  of  potatoes  in  a  sack. 

"  All  these  for  a  dollar  ?  "  I  gasped. 

"  Yes,  sah  !  " 

"  What  did  the  woman  say  ?  " 

"  She  didn't  say  nothin',  sah.  She  was  in  de  cellar. 
I  inviegled  her  into  de  cellar,  and  den  negotiated  de 
grub." 

"  Cauk,  you'll  be  a  forager  in  time  !  "  laughed  the 
lieutenant. 

"  I's  laming,  sah  !  "  returned  Caucus. 

And  so  he  did — a  few  months  after  this. 

It  was  too  risky  to  take  back  to  the  woman  any  portion 
of  her  provisions,  and  we  were,  perhaps,  not  over-scrupu- 
lous, for  provisions  meant  strength,  and  strength  meant 
safety  ;  so  we  pushed  along  Horse  Creek  on  the  road 
toward  Greenville. 

Soon  after  this  we  came  to  a  house,  the  owner  of  which 
was  acquainted  with  our  lieutenant.  Here  we  expected 
to  remain  the  night.  If  was  just  getting  dusk  as  we 
halted  some  two  hundred  yards  from  the  building,  and 
the  lieutenant  went  forward  to  see  if  it  would  be  safe  for 
us  to  show  ourselves. 


138  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

He  soon  gave  us  the  signal  to  come  on.  At  the  door- 
way we  were  stopped  by  an  old  gentleman,  who  whis- 
pered that  a  Confederate  soldier  was  inside  upon  a  sick 
bed,  attended  by  his  mother,  who  had  arrived  a  few  days 
before  from  near  Knoxville. 

We  were  shown  into  a  large  room  adjoining  the  one  in 
which  the  invalid  lay.  His  mother  came  out  and  begged 
us  piteously  not  to  disturb  her  almost  dying  boy,  who  was 
down  with  typhoid  fever.  She  said  he  wanted  to  see 
some  one  of  us.  He  guessed  on  what  side  we  were,  and 
felt  afraid  for  his  safety. 

The  lieutenant  nodded  to  me  to  go  in,  and  I  found  the 
young  man  very  nervous,  partly  from  sickness  and  partly 
from  anxiety.  In  a  weak  tone  he  asked  me  what  we  were 
going  to  do,  and  whether  we  would  molest  him.  Noting 
his  excitement,  and  seeing  how  it  told  upon  him,  I  re- 
quested him  to  give  himself  no  uneasiness,  for  though 
we  were  Union  men,  making  for  the  front,  we  would 
attack  no  one  who  did  not  disturb  us.  This  seemed  to 
relieve  him  very  much,  and  his  mother  followed  me  to 
the  door,  and  blessed  and  thanked  me  for  having  mercy 
upon  her  boy. 

Never  was  I  so  impressed  until  this  moment  with  the 
fearful  passions  of  this  time,  that  made  a  man,  whom 
every  instinct  of  humanity  would  make  us  pity  and  assist, 
fear  we  would  kill  him  as  he  lay  sick  upon  his  bed. 

The  old  gentleman  invited  us  to  remain  for  supper,  but 
told  us  if  we  stayed  all  night  we  had  better  sleep  with  our 
boots  on,  as  we  would  probably  be  gobbled  up  before 
morning. 

We  took  his  advice,  and  his  supper,  and  our  host  was 
kind  enough  to  pilot  us  to  a  spot  between  two  hills  where 
we  could  make  a  fire  without  being  observed  from  the 
road. 

Placing  sentries,  as  usual,  we  passed  the  night  un- 
molested. Early  in  the  morning  our  friend  came  to  us 
and  said  he  would  get  us  some  breakfast  if  we  would 
come  down  to  the  house. 

Accepting  his  offer,  while  at  table  a  little  darkey  came 
in  saying  there  were  soldiers  at  the  gate,  and  looking  out, 
I  saw  two  men  on  horseback  armed  with  rifles.  Our 
lieutenant,  noting  their  number,  called  to  them  to  come 
in  and  join  us. 


HOW    1    ESCAPED.  I39 

They  looked  at  us  in  surprise,  but  acquiesced,  and  after 
discovering  who  we  were,  one  of  them  jocosely  remarked 
that  we  had  better  watch  out  or  they  would  take  us 
prisoners. 

"  You  will  have  a  fine  time  of  it,  as  we  are  heeled,  and 
some  one  will  be  hurt !  "  returned  Hanson. 

One  of  them  replied  :  "  Just  wait  at  this  house  for  an 
hour,  and  we  will  change  your  mind." 

The  other  told  us  not  to  mind  him,  as  he  was  good  at 
bluffing. 

By  this  time  we  had  come  to  the  conclusion  that  these 
men  were  in  advance  of  others  ;  consequently,  while  the 
two  soldiers  were  still  at  breakfast,  we  started  out  at  a 
quick  pace  ovi  our  journey,  and  went  southward  toward 
Cedar  Creek,  not  following  any  road,  but  going  through 
woods  and  fields,  which  would  render  pursuit  by  horsemen 
very  difficult,  the  lieutenant  telling  us  he  knew  a  family 
living  near  Salem,  about  twelve  miles  distant,  and  if  we 
could  get  there  safely,  we  could  learn  enough  about  the 
position  of  the  troops  to  aid  us  in  determining  our  future 
movements. 

To  reach  this  place,  however,  wc  would  have  to  travel 
through  a  thickly  settled  farming  country  southwest  of 
Greenville.  'J'his  could  best  be  done  at  night,  as  we 
could  detect  the  presence  of  soldiers  by  their  camp  fires. 
We  camped  in  some  timber  till  evening  and  then  began 
our  march.  About  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening  we  came 
to  a  house  that  stood  near  the  fork  of  two  roads.  A 
woman  appeared  and  asked  who  was  there.  We  said  we 
wanted  to  know  if  the  way  was  clear  to  Salem.  She 
replied  that  she  was  not  quite  sure.  The  day  before  she 
had  seen  soldiers  coming  from  that  direction. 

Learning  nothing  definite,  we  passed  on  into  the  public 
road  leading  to  the  town,  only  disturbed  by  the  barking 
of  dogs,  that  had  a  habit  of  favoring  us  very  often  with 
their  salutations  at  night. 

At  midnight  we  reached  our  destination.  A  woman 
opened  the  door  for  us.  There  was  not  a  man  on  the 
place — every  one  of  them  being  away  in  the  army  around 
Knoxville,  except  the  woman's  husband,  who  was  hiding 
in  the  mountains. 

She  gave  us  a  doleful  account  of  things,  and  said  she 
did  not  know  how  we   were  to  get  through,  unless  we 


I40  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

went  north  through  the  woods  and  approached  Knox- 
ville  by  a  roundabout  route. 

This  was  out  of  the  question  ;  it  meant  another  two 
weeks  of  refugeeing,  and  we  were  now  almost  too  worn 
out  to  travel.  Finally  the  woman  advised  us  to  go 
northwesterly,  direct  toward  Newmarket,  and  cross  the 
Nolachucky  River  above  its  junction  with  the  French 
Broad.  This  was  about  ten  miles,  but  we  could  reach  it 
by  daylight,  as  the  country  was  perfectly  level  and  there 
were  no  big  streams  to  ford. 

Acting  on  her  advice,  we  set  out.  We  had  hardly  been 
gone  an  hour  before  a  rain-storm  came  up  that  made  the 
road  very  slippery.  We  were  rejoiced  at  this.  It  would 
tend  to  keep  the  Confederates  under  canvas.  Lights 
appeared  ahead  of  us,  which  we  took  for  camp-fires,  but 
fortunately  we  did  not  have  to  go  near  them. 

We  reached  our  point  in  safety,  and  stopped  about 
half  a  mile  beyond  the  junction  of  the  two  rivers  in  a 
farm-house,  where  we  found  no  one  but  a  white  man  and 
two  negroes.  We  asked  the  man  to  ferry  us  across  the 
stream.  He  looked  us  over,  then  complied  with  our  re- 
quest, but  in  a  very  surly  way.  The  size  of  our  party  was 
too  large  for  opposition,  and  he  took  us  over  in  two  loads. 

As  he  landed  us  he  remarked  that  we  would  have  a 
nice  time  getting  through  the  lines,  and  that  he  would 
not  like  to  be  in  our  boots. 

Thanking  him  for  his  trouble,  we  marched  in  the  direc- 
tion of  Newmarket,  intending  to  leave  it  on  our  right 
and  to  pass  southwest  toward  Strawberry  Plains.  From 
here  on  we  were  satisfied  that  we  would  meet  in  the  roads 
none  but  soldiers,  and  were  continually  on  the  alert. 
It  was  now  about  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning,  when 
we  came  to  a  little  creek  and  concluded  to  camp.  We 
had  traveled  all  that  night,  and  most  of  the  day  before, 
and  nature  compelled  us  to  rest.  We  halted  at  a  little 
log  cabin  back  of  a  piece  of  woodr  three  hundred  yards 
from  the  road.  It  was  quite  secluded,  and  not  apt  to  be 
seen  by  people  riding  by.  No  one  came  near  during  the 
day.  We  slept  on  the  floor  by  turns— one  of  us  always 
being  on  guard. 

During  this  time  I  patched  up  my  shoes  as  well  as 
I  could  with  strings,  and  tied  them  to  my  feet,  from 
which  they  had  nearly  fallen. 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  I4I 

Often  during  the  day  we  heard  the  noise  of  march- 
ing soldiers,  but  were  fortunately  too  far  from  the  road 
to  be  discovered.  A  battery  of  artillery  also  galloped 
past. 

All  this  indicated  some  movement  on  Longstreet's 
part,  but  what  wa  could  not  tell. 

The  lieutenant,  however,  said  :  "  I  think  he  has  got  to 
retreat.  Judging  by  the  number  of  men  that  are  now 
coming  in,  he  has  called  in  most  of  his  detached  parties, 
but  by  to-morrow  at  this  time  we  will  probably  know  all 
about  it." 

"  Why  so  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  Because  then  we'll  either  be  in  the  Federal  lines, 
prisoners,  or  gone  to  glory  !  " 

"  So  soon  ?  " 

"  Certainly  !  We  can't  keep  dodging  through  the  rebel 
army  forever.  If  we  stay  here,  we're  bound  to  be 
caught  in  a  day  or  two.  Now,  I've  picked  out  our  cross- 
ing-place on  the  Nolachucky — it's  twelve  miles  from 
here.  By  a  forced  march,  we'll  get  there  before  day 
breaks.  If  we  get  across  alive,  half  an  hour  '11  place  us 
in  the  Union  lines.  As  soon  as  dark,  we  start  to  make 
the  attempt." 

If  we  were  successful  in  getting  through,  our  leader 
would  go  to  his  regiment  and  we  would  separate.  Feel- 
ing that  this  gallant  man's  services  deserved  some  recog- 
nition from  us,  I  tore  a  leaf  from  my  memorandum  book 
and  wrote  : 

"  Whereas,  we  the  undersigned,  members  of  a  party  of  Union  men 
struggling  to  get  away  from  the  Southern  Confederacy,  have  been 
guided  with  consummate  tact,  judgment,  self-denial  and  bravery,  by 
Lieutenant  Hanson  of  the  Fifth  Kentucky  Union  Cavalry,  we  extend 
to  hira  our  sincere  and  heartfelt  thanks,  and,  while  we  are  unable  to 
reward  him  substantially,  we  give  to  him  our  best  wishes  and  best 
hopes  that  he  may  pass  through  this  war  safely,  and  when  these 
troubles  are  over,  may  enjoy  the  rest  of  his  life  in  health  and  happi- 
ness." 

This  being  signed  by  us,  I  read  it  to  the  lieutenant, 
who  said  he  would  place  that  bit  of  paper  in  his  bosom, 
preserve  it  from  all  harm,  and  always  treasure  it  during 
the  remainder  of  his  life. 

We  now  began  our  walk  that  would  bring  us  to  the 
crossing  of   the  Nolachucky   River,  at  a   place    ten  or 


142  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

twelve  miles  from  Knoxville.  Along  the  road  in  the 
darkness  we  could  observe  evidences  everywhere  of  the 
presence  of  soldiers.  In  some  places  fires  illuminated 
the  sky,  while  in  others  there  were  tent  poles  from  which 
the  canvas  had  been  struck,  and  at  one  place  we  almost 
ran  into  a  little  camp  of  men  on  the  side  of  the  road. 
Avoiding  this  by  a  circuitous  route  through  the  fields, 
and  coming  out  into  the  highway  again,  we  had  not  gone 
far  before  we  heard  the  galloping  of  horses.  Leaving 
the  road  once  more,  because  it  was  evident  we  were 
nearing  the  lights  of  almost  a  brigade  of  Confederates, 
and  could  not  guess  at  what  point  we  would  run  against 
its  picket  line,  we  kept  on  until  two  in  the  morning, 
when  we  reached  our  objective  point  near  the  river.  A 
little  house  stood  aw^ay  from  the  road  some  fifty  or  sixty 
yards,  and  the  Nolachucky  was  at  least  two  hundred 
paces  beyond  it. 

Across  this  river  we  could  see  lights,  which  were 
undoubtedly  the  camp-fires  of  some  portion  of  Long- 
street's  army.  The  house  was  inhabited  by  a  middle- 
aged  woman  and  her  daughters.  There  were  no  men 
near. 

As  we  made  known  our  purpose  to  get  into  the  Federal 
lines,  the  lady  said  that  the  rebel  picket  line  was  across 
the  river,  where  we  could  easily  see  the  camp-fires.  We^ 
then  asked  if  we  could  cross  the  stream  near  there. 

She  said,  "  Not  with  any  safety,  as  there  were  three  men 
shot  down  there  last  night  while  trying  to  cross.  They 
attempted  to  go  just  after  dark.  I  warned  them,  but  they 
said  they  would  take  their  chances,  and  when  I  heard  the 
musketry  across  the  river,  I  knew  they  were  gone." 

We  then  asked  if  there  was  any  other  place  to  cross 
near  there. 

"  Yes,"  she  replied.  "  There's  a  bridge  a  little  further  up- 
stream, but  that  is  guarded  by  a  company  of  infantry,  and 
I  believe  they  have  one  or  two  guns  there.  There  is 
going  to  be  some  movement,  I  can't  tell  what  it  is, 
because  the  troops  have  been  traveling  about  here  all  day, 
and  there  has  been  a  good  deal  of  musketry  firing  in  the 
front.  I  suppose  there  will  probably  be  lively  times  to- 
morrow." 

This  made  us  most  anxious  to  get  into  the  Union  lines. 
If   Longstreet  advanced,  every   foot   he   gained    added 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  I43 

another  foot  to  the  distance  we  had  to  travel,  and  took 
a  way  another  chance  of  safety  from  us.  We  were  now 
at  the  border  Hne.  Imprisonment  and  death  were  behind 
us.      Death  was,  perhaps,  before  us. 

We  sat  in  tiie  dark,  early  morning  hours  discussing  the 
momentous  question,  whether  we  should  attempt  to  cross 
or  not.  The  woman  knew  the  difficulty  of  the  situation, 
and  begged  us  for  God's  sake  not  to  undertake  the  trip. 

1  told  her  we  had  been  over  a  month  on  our  journey, 
and  we  could  not  remain  where  we  were  in  sight  of  the 
pickets;  that  boldness  was  our  only  chance.  I  then  said: 
"  Boys,  I  have  come  on  this  trip  to  go  through  the  lines. 
We  have  come  to  the  lines,  and  if  I  can  get  any  one  to  go 
with  me,  I  will  get  there  !  " 

I  urged  that  the  present  moment,  just  before  daybreak, 
was  the  best  time  to  catch  the  pickets  off  their  guard. 

One  man  agreed  to  join  me.  The  lieutenant  hesitated, 
and  said:  "  I  do  not  think  we  can  get  across.  I  know 
you  could  not  pass  that  picket  line,  with  me  in  command 
of  it,  in  the  way  you  intend." 

I  replied:   "  Don't  allow  my  rashness  to  influence  you." 

At  that  he  jumped  up  and  muttered:  "  I  do  not  pro- 
pose to  allow  any  man  to  say  I  dare  not  follow  him." 

"Oh  !  "  cried  the  woman,  "for  God's  sake,  don't  go  ! 
If  you  do,  you  will  never  come  out  alive  !  " 

We  thanked  her  for  her  interest,  but  there  was  nothing 
else  for  us, — we  must  go  forward. 

Only  two  of  the  men,  with  the  lieutenant,  would  risk 
the  crossing. 

The  others  said  it  was  too  hazardous,  they  would  wait 
developments. 

As  for  Caucus,  he  didn't  seem  to  think  he  had  any 
voice  in  the  matter,  and  as  soon  as  I  got  up  he  followed 
me  down  to  the  woman's  boat,  which  was  an  old  and 
leaky  affair,  hardly  useful  for  any  military  purpose,  and 
as  such  neglected  by  the  enemy.  It  was  now  between 
three  and  four  o'clock  in  the  morning.  The  whole  party 
went  to  the  bank  with  us.  Unlocking  the  old  batteau,  we 
got  in.  Another  man  then  decided  to  take  the  risk,  and 
joined  our  party,  leaving  three  who  declined  to  go.  We 
shook  hands  silently.  It  was  now  dangerous  to  speak, 
for  the  river  was  but  a  little  over  a  hundred  yards  wide. 

In  order  to  make  no  noise,  we  used  no  oars,  paddling 


144  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

with  our  hands.  To  do  this  effectively  I  took  off  my 
coat,  wearing  a  dark  gray  shirt  underneath,  that  gave  no 
light  color  to  make  me  prominent  in  the  darkness.  This 
coat,  which  contained  all  my  papers,  I  handed  silently  to 
Caucus,  and  he  placed  it  on  the  thwart  between  us.  Then 
we  floated  out  into  the  stream. 


CHAPTER    XVII. 

THE    LETTER    OF    LIFE. 

The  silence  of  the  night  was  broken  only  by  the  rip- 
pling of  the  river  against  our  boat,  and  the  wash  of  its 
waters  upon  the  bank  we  were  rapidly  nearing.  The 
darkness  of  the  night  was  only  illuminated  by  two  watch- 
fires  that  we  dreaded.  Steering  to  strike  the  bank 
midway  between  these  fires,  paddling  with  our  hands  for 
fear  of  disturbing  the  silence,  we  seemed  to  be  totally 
unobserved.  No  noise  was  heard  in  the  brush  that  lined 
the  bank  of  the  stream.  No  word  came  out  of  the  silence 
of  the  forest,  that  was  only  separated  from  us  now  by  a 
few  yards  of  water. 

I  was  now  confident  we  would  gain  the  bank,  and 
probably  half  an  hour  would  see  us  in  the  Union  lines. 

Suddenly  from  out  the  brushwood  right  in  front  of  us 
came  "  Who  goes  there  ?  "  from  the  hoarse  voice  of  a 
Confederate  picket. 

The  lieutenant  who  sat  next  to  me  whispered  in  my 
ear,  "  Overboard,  for  your  life  !  " 

As  he  dropped  over  the  gunwale,  taking  the  side  away 
from  the  bank,  to  obtain  the  protection  of  the  boat  from 
rifle-balls,  I  followed  him,  and  diving  under  the  bottom 
of  the  batteau,  we  floated  silently  down  stream,  just  mak- 
ing exertion  enough  to  keep  ourselves  afloat. 

As  I  rose  I  hea'-d  the  crashing  fire  of  musketry  and 
shrieks  and  groans  from  the  companions  I  had  left  in  the 
boat,  and  over  all  Caucus'  voice,  shrieking,  "  Fo'  de 
Lord  !     What  to  do  now  ?  " 

The  lieutenant  turned  his  head,  and  paddling  close  to 
me  whispered:  "  Float  down  the  stream  before  you  try  to 
make  the  bank.     This  musketry  firing  will  rouse  every 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  I45 

picket  within  a  mile  ;  "  t^en  struck  out  strongly  down  the 
river  with  the  current. 

I  followed  him,  but  he  gradually  passed  out  of  my 
sight  into  the  darkness. 

After  floating  down  three  or  four  hundred  yards, 
numbed  by  the  coldness  of  the  water,  which  had  but  a 
short  time  ago  left  the  snows  of  the  North  Carolina 
mountains,  I  turned  and  paddled  to  the  bank,  drew  my- 
self up  on  the  ground,  and  thought  I  had  escaped,  and 
could  now  make  my  way  to  the  Federal  lines. 

Numbed  with  the  cold,  I  staggered  into  the  bushes, 
unfortunately  striking  a  few  twigs. 

The  next  instant  a  couple  of  bayonets  were  thrust 
against  my  breast,  and  I  heard,  ''  Surrender  or  die  !  " 

"  I  am  your  prisoner,"  I  muttered,  for,  chilled  with  the 
cold,  neither  resistance  nor  flight  was  possible. 

"  You  are  one  of  that  boat's  crew  we  fired  into  up  the 
river  about  five  minutes  ago  ?  "  said  one  of  my  captors. 

"  Yes,"  I  replied,  for  there  was  no  good  trying  to  deceive 
them.     ''  Who  are  you  ?  " 

"  Oh,  we're  some  South  Carolina  boys,  up  here  to 
see  that  you  Yanks  in  East  Tennessee  behave  your- 
selves." 

*'  Take  him  to  regimental  headquarters,"  said  the  ser- 
geant of  the  guard,  who  had  come  up,  attracted  by  our 
noise. 

I  was  searched,  and  then  marched  between  a  couple  of 
soldiers  to  a  log  house,  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  up  the 
river,  which  was  the  headquarters  of  the  regiment — one 
of  Kershaw's  brigade  of  South  Carolina  troops,  a  portion 
of  Longstreet's  corps,  which,  after  fighting  in  Virginia, 
had  come  down  with  their  commander  into  East  Ten- 
nessee. 

Their  colonel  was  not  here,  being  away  looking  after 
the  picket  lines.  The  adjutant,  who  was  at  headquarters, 
told  me  I  would  have  to  wait  until  that  officer's  return 
before  they  would  know  what  to  do  with  me. 

I  asked  his  permission  to  stand  in  front  of  the  fire  to 
warm  myself,  for  my  teeth  were  chattering  so  that  I  could 
hardly  speak.  # 

"  Yes,"  he  said.  "  I  suppose  if  we  want  to  get  any 
information  out  of  you,  we  have  got  to  warm  you  up  a 
little  ;  but  I  reckon  you  will  be  warm  enough — or  cold 


146  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

enough — before  we  have  done  with  you.  Judging  from 
your  clothes,  and  the  position  in  which  you  were  taken, 
you  are  a  spy  !  " 

I  said, ''  When  the  colonel  comes  I  will  explain  to  him." 

"  Very  well." 

So,  the  sentry  keeping  a  close  eye  on  me,  though  I 
was  almost  too  chilled  to  move,  I  warmed  myself  and 
dried  my  clothes  in  front  of  the  fire.  It  must  have 
been  now  four  o'clock  in  the  morning.  A  moment 
after,  the  sentinel  saluted  an  officer  on  horseback,  who 
galloped  up,  followed  by  an  orderly.  He  dismounted  and 
passed  in,  giving  me  a  hurried  glance,  and  after  a  few 
moments'  conversation   with   the    adjutant,    said,  "Any 


im 


papers  found  on  h 

"  No,  sir." 

"  Very  well.     Let  the  prisoner  be  brought  in." 

I  was  accordingly  marched  into  the  log  cabin,  which 
was  made  comfortable  on  the  inside  by  a  fire  and  a  rough 
straw  mattress  in  a  corner,  with  some  blankets  on  it.  A 
coarse  deal  table,  some  writing  materials,  and  two  rough 
chairs  were  the  rest  of  its  furniture. 

As  I  entered,  the  officer  gave  a  start,  looked  at  me 
sharply,  then  turning  to  the  adjutant,  hurriedly  gave  him 
some  orders,  which  sent  that  officer  upon  some  duty  away 
from  regimental  headquarters.  Next  he  directed  the 
guard  to  leave  me  with  him,  but  to  keep  a  strict  watch 
outside  to  see  that  no  one  came  in  while  he  talked 
to  me. 

The  door  had  hardly  closed  when  he  turned  to  me  and 
said,  with  rather  a  hoarse  laugh,  "  By  the  Lord  !  this  is 
an  unexpected  pleasure,  Mr.  Bryant.  When  did  you 
come  from  the  earthworks  on  Morris  Island  ? " 

With  a  start  I  looked  at  him,  and  as  the  voice  came  to 
me,  I  recognized  my  old  friend  and  whilom  chum  Harry 
Walton  of  Columbia.  The  full  beard  he  wore  and  the 
bronzed  complexion  that  active  service  had  given  him 
had  so  changed  him  that  for  a  moment  I  had  not  recog- 
nized him. 

"  Major  Walton,"  said  I 

*'  Colonel,"  interrupted  he.  "  I^ath  has  promoted  me 
since  I  saw  you  last.  Promotion  in  that  way  is  pretty 
rapid  around  here." 

"  Colonel  Walton,"  continued  I,  "  I  know  from  what 


HOW    1    ESCAPED.  147 

you  have  said  that  you  are  aware  that  I  was  imprisoned 
on  Morris  Island." 

"  Yes,  for  desertion,  I  beUeve,"  he  said.  "  Where  is  your 
passport  ? " 

"  I  have  none  !  " 

"  No  passport,  and  coming  through  our  lines  in  citi- 
zen's clothes  !  How  did  you  leave  the  earthworks  on 
Morris  Island  ? " 

*'  I  was  removed  from  them." 

"  Where  to  ?  " 

"  To  work  on  the  fortifications  on  Stoho  River." 

"  When  were  you  discharged  ?  " 

"  I  have  never  been  discharged." 

"  The  second  time  a  deserter  !  Looks  very  bad  for 
you,  Mr.  Bryant.  In  fact,  fatally  bad,"  he  remarked, 
lighting  a  pipe  and  sitting  down.  "  I  presume  I  could 
shoot  you  after  a  drumhead  court-martial  here,  without 
violating  military  etiquette.  Probably  I  shall  have  to,  if 
we  are  driven  away  from  here  to-morrow  morning,  as  I 
expect  to  be." 

I  replied  :  "  My  life  is  in  your  hands.  Colonel  Walton, 
but  I  hardly  think  it  noble  to  take — when  he  cannot  de- 
fend himself — a  revenge  upon  your  old  friend  and  col- 
lege chum,  because  he  was  more  fortunate  than  you  in 
winning  Laura  Peyton's " 

"  Stop  !  "  cried  the  colonel.  "  Don't  you  say  that 
word.  Don't  you  dare  to  say  she  loves  you  !  I  will  not 
believe  it !  If  she  had  loved  you,  neither  you  nor  any 
man  on  earth  could  ever  have  left  her.  However,  I  shall 
do  my  duty.  I  shall  take  no  revenge  upon  you.  I  will 
send  you,  under  guard,  to  Chattanooga.  A  drumhead 
court-martial  can  dispose  of  you  as  well  as  I  can,  and  no 
man  shall  be  able  to  say  that  Harry  Walton  treated  him 
ungenerously.     I  will  do  my  duty,  sir  !  " 

He  called  the  guard,  and  was  about  to  consign  me  to 
them,  when  an  orderly,  coming  up,  said  :  "  Colonel,  here's 
a  nigger  who  insists  on  seeing  you.  He  has  heard  your 
name,  and  will  not  be  put  off.  I  think  he  has  solne  in- 
formation for  you." 

As  he  said  this,  the»red  head  of  Caucus  entered  the 
circle  illuminated  by  the  camp-fire.  The  black  was  drip- 
ping from  the  river,  but  carried  in  his  hand,  apparently 
unwet,  my  coat  that  contained  all  my  papers. 


148  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

At  sight  of  this  garment,  I  knew  that  my  last  chance 
was  gone.  Before  any  court-martial  where  I  was  known 
by  my  true  name,  the  passport  for  Mr.  Bassett  would 
convict  me. 

"  'Clare  to  goodness,  I's  real  glad  to  see  you,  Colonel 
Walton  !  "  said  the  negro,  with  an  attempted  wriggle  of 
delight.  "  Who  would  spect  to  drop  on  a  South  Carolina 
friend  in  dis  part  ob  de  country  ?  Does  my  eyes  good, 
Colonel  Walton,  to  see  you,  sah.  All  de  time  comin'  up 
heah,  I  said,  '  When  will  we  come  to  Colonel  Walton  ?  '  " 

"Caucus,"  cried  the  colonel,  with  a  laugh.  "You  are 
happier  to  meet  me  than  your  master.  Take  him  away, 
and  give  him  something  to  eat.  Niggers  are  always 
hungry.  But  see  that  he  doesn't  escape  into  the  Union 
lines,  for  his  evidence  may  come  up  before  us." 

"  Now  you  is  talkin',  colonel,"  muttered  Caucus. 
"You  kill  three  or  four  of  us,  and  was  a  leetle  rough  on 
us  at  fus';  but  you  take  good  care  of  what  is  left  ob  us." 

"  Take  him  away,"  repeated  Walton,  with  a  wave  of 
his  hand,  as  if  anxious  to  get  the  darkey  out  of  his 
sight. 

"  Yes,  sah  ;  I'm  a  goin',  sah.  I'm  always  ready  to  eat, 
sah  ;  but,  Massa  Bryant,  I  don't  want  you  to  tink  I  didn't 
take  good  care  ob  your  clothes.  Heah's  your  documents 
in  'em,  dry  as  a  bone.  Your  pass  is  all  safe,  sah,"  and 
to  my  horror,  he  placed  the  papers  carefully  on  the 
table. 

At  the  word  "  documents  "  the  colonel  paused  a  min- 
ute, and  said,  as  Caucus  was  being  led  away :  "  I  will 
examine  these.  Let  the  prisoner  wait  here  until  I  give 
further  orders.     You  can  close  the  door,  orderly." 

Then,  without  any  ceremony,  he  ran  through  most  of 
the  papers  hurriedly,  with  an  occasional  exclamation  of 
satisfaction,  and  looking  at  me,  said  :  "  I  think  your  case 
will  give  a  court-martial  very  little  trouble.  I  do  not 
care  particularly  to  conceal  my  feeling  regarding  you. 
If  you  were  shot  to  death  twenty  times,  it  would  not 
cause  you  the  misery  that  you  have  caused  me." 

"  Colonel  Walton,"  replied  I,  "  the  misery  I  caused 
you  was  not  intended.  We  both  loved  the  same  woman. 
If  I  won  her,  that  was  my  luck." 

"  Won  her  ?  "  he  cried  ;  "  why,  she  is  too  true  a  south- 
ern girl  to  ever  think  of  you  now.      JVon  her  7     You  have 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  I49 

won  nothing  but  what  a  court-martial  will  give  you  !  " 
Then  he  went  on  looking  over  the  papers. 

After  a  few  moments,  a  short,  suppressed  cry,  as  of  a 
man  in  mortal  agony,  came  from  him.  Gazing  at  him,  I 
saw  that  the  paper  he  looked  at  was  the  one  letter  I 
had  received  from  my  wife. 

With  a  pale  face,  apparently  controlling  himself  by  an 
almost  superhuman  exertion,  he  strode  up  to  me,  and 
whispered  in  a  low  voice  :  "  Is  this  letter  true  ?  Is — 
Laura — Peyton — your — wife  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  I  replied,  "  my  beloved  wife  !  " 

''  Good  God  !  " 

A  moment  after  he  forced  himself  to  calmness  again, 
and,  looking  at  the  letter,  muttered  :  "  Yes,  it  is  in  her 
handwriting  !  "  and  read  it  through  once  more. 

Then,  apparently  forgetful  of  my  presence,  he  clasped 
his  hands  to  his  face,  sank  down  into  a  chair,  and  I  could 
tell  by  his  short,  quick  breathing  that  he  was  fighting  the 
fight  that  all  men  have  to  make  who  love  truly  and  lose 
—a  struggle  against  the  despair  of  knowing  that  the 
woman  of  your  heart  has  gone  from  you  forever. 

"  Colonel  Walton,"  said  I,  "  do  you  want  me  any 
longer  ? " 

''  No  !     Tell  the  guard " 

I  had  moved  to  the  door. 

"  Yes  !     Remain  !  " 

I  paused.  He  was  staring  at  me  with  bloodshot 
eyes.  Then  he  burst  forth  ;  "  My  God  !  she  d/d  love 
you  !  " 

"  Yes  I  she  loves  me  still  !  "  I  cried,  proudly. 

"  I  know  it !  Don't  tell  me  about  it  !  From  her  letter 
I  can  see  she  loves  you.  My  God  !  What  am  I  to  do  ?  I 
cannot  do  my  duty.     If  I  do,  I  make  her " 

And  for  over  half  an  hour  he  paced  the  floor  of  the 
cabin,  sometimes  wringing  his  hands,  sometimes  pressing 
them  to  his  head.  After  a  time  he  became  calmer,  and 
sinking  into  a  chair,  perhaps  exhausted  by  the  violence 
of  his  passion,  said  to  me  :  "  Mr.  Bryant,  I  will  not  dis- 
guise from  you,  when  I  saw  you  here,  when  I  knew  that 
you  would  be  convicted,  and  probably  sentenced  to  death 
as  a  deserter  or  a  spy,  that  it  made  me  happy.  This 
letter  from  the  woman  we  do//i  love  tells  me  she  is  your 
wife,  and  loves  you  as  such.     I  had  intended  to  send  you 


150  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

to  Bragg's  headquarters  to  be  tried  for  desertion.  What 
mercy  you  would  get  you  can  guess,  for  Bragg  is  a  man* 
who  has  no  mercy  on  his  own  men— what  mercy  would 
he  have  upon  you,  a  northern  one  ?  Your  chances  for  life 
would  not  be  worth  the  snap  of  my  finger.  If  I  did  my 
duty,  I  should  do  this,  and  make  the  little  girl  I  have 
known  and  loved,  who  was  my  playmate  when  a  child,  whom 
I  love  now,  God  help  me,  as  a  woman  ! — a  widow.  I  would 
break  Laura  Peyton's — I  mean  Laura  Bryant's — heart ! 
My  duty  says  one  thing,  my  love  for  your  wife  another. 
If  I  thought  she  did  not  love  you,  I  could  do  my  duty; 
but  this  letter  shows  me  that  every  beat  of  her  heart  is 
yours.  I  cannot  do  my  exact  duty.  I  will  compromise 
with  my  conscience.  Now  in  order  to  compromise  with 
my  conscience,  Mr.  Bryant,  you  must  do  what  I  suggest. 
It  is  your  only  chance  of  life.  My  regiment  and  I  are 
put  here  as  a  kind  of  sop  to  the  Yankee  maw,  that  will 
swallow  us,  probably,  to  morrow.  This  regiment  is  to  be 
sacrificed  to  save  the  division.  It  has  been  done  often 
enough  on  both  sides  before,  during  the  war,  and  it  is 
going  to  be  done  now.  I  and  my  men  know  this  as  well 
as  the  division  general  who  orders  it.  We  are  to  hold 
the  little  bridge  and  this  bank  of  the  river  *'to  the  last 
man " — that  is  my  order — or  until  1  receive  a  signal 
from  the  hill  back  of  us  that  two  batteries  are  in  posi- 
tion there  that  will  check  the  Federal  advance.  By 
that  time  the  division  will  have  passed  along  the  road, 
and  the  river  cannot  be  crossed  in  time  to  do  it  any 
damage.  Now  I  am  to  defend  this  bridge  to  the  last. 
I  will  leave  you  here.  There  will  be  a  great  many 
balls  and  shells  falling  about  you,  but  I  hope  you  will 
get  accustomed  to  them,  as  I  am.  I  shall  hold  the 
bridge  to  the  last  man.  Do  you  remain  here,  and  if 
my  men  forget  you  in  the  hurry  of  the  battle,  don't 
;-^/;//;/^/ them ;  don't  make  y ourseM proiJiincnt.  Pick  out  a 
safe  place.  I  want  to  save  the  husband  of  Laura  Peyton, 
the  man  Laura  Peyton  loves.  As  for  me,  I  am  glad  I 
have  got  this  kind  of  work  to  do  this  morning.  I  hope 
my  bullet  may  find  me.  It  will,  some  time  ;  and  I  can 
give  my  life  for  the  South  with  a  better  heart  than  I 
could  have,  before  I  met  you  to-night." 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  I5I 

CHAPTER  XVIII 

THE    FIGHT    FOR    THE    BRIDGE. 

The  colonel  staggered  out. 

As  he  did  so,  the  faint  light  of  breaking  day  came  in 
through  the  open  door  of  the  cabin.  Looking  from  a 
square  hole  in  the  log  wall  that  served  for  a  window,  I 
was  soon  able  to  perceive  the  immediate  surroundings  of 
the  place. 

Just  back  of  it  flowed  the  river,  crossed  at  this  point 
a  very  little  to  the  right  of  the  cabin  by  a  country  bridge 
hardly  wide  enough  to  permit  the  crossing  of  an  ordinary 
wagon.  'J  he  structure  of  this  was  of  the  usual  western 
kind,  the  girders  and  trusses  being  made  of  squared  logs 
bolted  together,  and  its  planking  consisting  of  two-inch 
rough  lumber.  The  width  of  the  stream,  which  was  here 
deep  and  rapid,  was  but  a  little  over  fifty  yards;  conse- 
quently a  single  pier  in  the  center  of  the  river,  made  of  a 
crib  of  heavy  logs  filled  in  with  broken  stone,  was  suffi- 
cient to  support  this  bridge,  which  was  in  the  form  of  two 
spans  resting  upon  abutments  on  either  bank  and  the 
single  pier  in  the  center  of  the  current.  Upon  the  oppo- 
site side  of  the  river  two  field-pieces  were  stationed,  and 
a  rough  breastwork  of  logs  had  been  constructed  to  pro- 
tect an  infantry  support.  Iliis  at  present  was  simply 
guarded  by  a  sergeant  and  a  few  men,  though  the  gun- 
ners were  sleeping  ready  for  action  alongside  the  section 
of  their  battery. 

Along  the  opposite  bank  of  the  river  ran  a  country 
road,  sometimes  beside  the  water  and  at  other  times  run- 
ning off  from  it  from  a  few  yards'  distance  to  fifty  and  per- 
haps seventy-five.  This  was  only  protected  here  and 
there  by  clumps  of  timber,  and  the  march  of  a  column 
over  it  with  the  banks  on  my  side  of  the  stream  occupied 
in  force  by  the  enemy  would  be  certainly  disastrous  and 
almost  a  military  impossibility.  After  passing  the  bridge, 
however,  a  hundred  yards  or  so,  this  road  turned  from 
the  river  into  the  country,  which  was  hilly,  and  perhaps 
half  a  mile  away  there  was  a  position  from  which  a  few 
batteries  of  artillery  properly  supported  by  infantry  could 
check  an  advancing  army. 


152  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

Along  this  road  from  down  the  river  were  coming  hur- 
riedly, but  apparently  in  good  order  and  without  con- 
fusion, the  baggage-wagons  of  a  division  ;  ihe  heavy 
muffled  rattle  of  musketry  could  be  heard  down  the  stream 
some  miles  away,  an  occasional  salvo  of  artillery  mingling 
with  and  punctuating  the  roar. 

It  was  evident  that  the  Confederates  were  withdrawing 
from  their  position  — one  of  the  most  difficult  and  danger- 
ous operations  in  war  when  conducted  in  the  face  of  an 
active  and  enterprising  enemy.  Like  most  military  move- 
ments, its  success  depended  almost  entirely  upon  time.  If 
attacked  while  moving  along  this  road  by  the  river,  in  case 
the  enemy  gained  the  opposite  bank  from  which  to 
enfilade  its  column  with  musketry  and  artillery,  the  result 
would  be  a  fearful  disaster.  If  the  Confederates  could 
gain  unassaulted  the  position  m  the  hills  away  from  the 
river,  they  might  bid  defiance  to  pursuit. 

In  order  to  avoid  any  chances  of  losing  the  opposite 
bank  of  the  river,  Walton  and  his  South  Carolina  regi- 
ment had  been  stationed  there  to  hold  it,  even  in  the  face 
of  an  opposing  division  of  Federals. 

But  to  move  a  large  body  of  men  takes  considerable 
time,  even  when  unassailed.  The  baggage-wagons  had 
just  begun  to  pass  me  ;  it  would  be  near  mid-day  before 
the  infantry  and  artillery  of  the  division  could  be  all  with- 
drawn, and,  by  the  noise  down  the  river,  the  enemy  were 
attacking  now  ;  Walton  and  his  regiment  must  be  sacri- 
ficed to  military  necessity.  Even  as  I  thought  this,  a 
dusty  aide-de-camp  came  dashing  over  the  bridge. 

As  I  looked  at  this  structure,  any  wonder  in  my  mind 
that  Walton  was  not  reinforced  vanished  from  it.  The 
bridge  was  so  small  and  narrow  that  a  larger  body  of  men 
than  a  regiment  would  have  found  it  impossible  to  retreat 
across  it,  closely  pressed  by  an  enemy. 

Walton  was  standing  outside  the  cabin  ;  the  aide-de- 
camp rode  up,  and  after  a  few  hurried  whispers,  the 
colonel  burst  forth  :  "  Then  he  refuses  reinforcements, 
but  I  am  to  hold  this  position  I " 

"  Yes  !  till  you  get  that  signal  !  " 

"How  long  will  that  take?" 

"  Three  or  four  hours  !  " 

"  Good  Lord  !  There  won't  be  many  left  of  us  !  "  mut- 
tered the  colonel,  gazing  sadly  at  his  men  already  falling 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  153 

in.  Veterans  of  three  campaigns  in  Virginia,  and  Antie- 
tam,  Gettysburg  and  Chickamauga  besides,  his  men 
guessed  their  fate  also  ;  for  I  heard  one  of  them  remark 
to  a  comrade  under  his  voice,  as  they  passed  the  cabin, 
"  Thar'll  be  a  pretty  general  turning  up  of  toes  to-day, 
I  reckon,  Tim  !  " 

And  the  other,  a  boy  of  about  nineteen,  said  :  *'  Trouble 
you  for  a  plug  of  tobacco,  I'll  take  a  last  smoke  for  old 
Virginie  !  " 

Others,  however,  stood  with  compressed  lips  that  grew 
pale  as  they  thought  of  far-off  homes  they  scarcely  hoped 
to  see  again. 

But  in  all  this  there  was  no  murmur  from  any  of  them, 
and  when  the  colonel  ordered  them  to  the  front,  they 
only  answered  with  a  yell  and  double-quicked  to  their 
line  of  battle. 

All  this  time  the  roar  of  musketry  down  the  river  grew 
louder  and  louder,  and  dropping  shots  began  to  fall 
about  the  picket  line  of  the  regiment ;  a  few  wounded  men 
came  crawling  and  limping  from  the  front,  for  all  this 
day  I  never  saw  any  one  assisted  off  the  field  by  com- 
rades—their numbers  were  so  few,  their  need  of  men  so 
desperate. 

"  They  attacked  you  down  the  river  an  hour  ago  in 
force  ?  "  questioned  the  colonel  of  the  aide-de-camp. 

"  Yes,  sir  !  " 

"  Then  there'll  be  a  brigade  in  front  of  me  in  an  hour, 
and  a  division  before  this  is  over.  Report  that  I'll  hold 
this  bridge  to  the  last  man  !  " 

"  Yes,  colonel,"  and  the  aide-de-camp  galloped  off. 

Calling  to  his  adjutant,  Walton  hurriedly  wrote  an 
order,  and  said  :  "  Let  duplicates  in  writing  be  given  to 
every  line  and  staff  officer  of  the  regiment  ;  also  to  the 
first  sergeant  of  every  company." 

"  To  so  many  ?  "  asked  the  adjutant,  coolly  scribbling 
on  a  wooden  bench,  though  the  rifle  balls  were  finding 
their  way  through  the  trees  and  wounding  men  about  us. 

"Yes,"  replied  the  colonel.  *' By  the  time  the  signal 
for  retreat  is  given,  a  first  sergeant  may  be  the  ranking 
officer  of  the  regiment,  and  I  don't  want  to  take  any 
chances  of  sacrificing  one  more  man  than  necessary." 

Then  he  gave  a  sigh  and  went  to  the  front,  leaving  his 
horse  in  charge  of  an  orderly. 


154  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

The  position  for  the  regiment  to  defend  was  rather 
favorable. 

A  small  ridge,  running  nearly  parallel  to  the  river,  and 
going  down  close  to  its  bank  half  a  mile  below  us,  was 
about  three  hundred  yards  from  me.  This  was  heavily 
timbered,  the  trees  running  a  little  over  the  lidge  from 
the  river  ;  while  beyond  them  were  open  fields,  over 
which  the  Federals  must  advance.  Along  the  edges  of 
this  timber,  at  intervals,  breastworks  of  logs  had  been 
hastily  erected,  each  of  these  large  enough  to  give  shelter 
to  a  company  front  in  skirmish  line.  Between  these 
sharpshooters  were  placed  in  rifle  pits,  keeping  com- 
munication open. 

This  line  of  defense  was  a  very  long  one  for  such  a 
small  number  of  men  to  hold  ;  for  I  noted  that  the  Caro- 
linians were  hardly  three  hundred,  for  at  that  time  death 
had  made  many  a  regiment  in  the  Confederate  army  look 
like  a  company. 

But  the  roar  of  musketry  down  the  river  was  approach- 
ing. I  gazed  behind  me.  On  the  right,  across  the 
stream,  the  last  of  the  baggage-wagons  was  passing,  and 
a  regiment  of  infantry,  already  withdrawn  from  the  line 
of  battle  down  the  river,  was  marching  to  take  position 
in  the  hills  up  the  road.  Behind  them  I  could  see  other 
regiments  of  infantry,  and  a  battery  of  artillery. 

The  roar  of  battle  came  nearer,  and  now,  from  drop- 
ping shots  in  the  front  of  the  regiment  the  firing  in- 
creased to  volleys.  This  was  steadily  returned  by  the 
South  Carolinians.  A  quarter  of  an  hour  of  this,  and 
from  the  noise  in  front  of  me  a  Federal  battery  had  evi- 
dently got  into  position,  for  rifle  shells  fell  into  the  tim- 
ber about  me,  some  of  them  striking  the  opposite  side  of 
the  river,  and  one  of  them  exploding  in  the  marching 
Confederate  regiment  on  the  road,  killing  and  wounding 
some  of  them.  Five  minutes  after,  another  Union  battery 
came  into  position.  It  was  easy  to  distinguish  this  from 
the  first,  because  its  rifled  guns  fired  peculiar  shells,  that 
produced  unearthly  noises  and  shrieks  that  seemed  to 
come  from  almost  a  human  voice. 

As  one  of  these  yelling  things  went  over  the  cabin  I 
was  looking  from,  the  front  door  was  hurriedly  thrown 
open,  and  Caucus  came  running  in,  his  red  hair  almost 
standing. 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  155 

I  cried,  "  Caucus,  I  am  glad  you  have  escaped  so  far." 

"  Yes,  but  I  won't  last  long.  I'se  most  gwine  now — 
heah  em  !  heah  em  I  Oh  Lord,  deliber  us  !  "  and  as 
another  shell  shrieked  over  us,  he  groveled  in  a  corner. 

"  You're  not  frightened  ?  "  I  asked,  astonished,  for  the 
black  had  so  often  shown  his  courage. 

"Yas,  I's  dead  scared  now  !  I  could  stan'  de  bullets, 
and  de  bustin'  things,  but  when  I  sees  dat  talkin'  shell  a 
twistin'  an'  windin'  about  in  de  trees,  an'  sayin',  '  Whar's 
you?  whars you  ?  wha-a-ar's  you  ? '  I  can't  stan'  it  no 
longer.  One  uv  'em  chased  me  nigh  onto  five  minutes 
afore  1  dodged  in  heah,  an'  den  'eluded  he  would  take 
some  ob  de  fellers  on  de  other  side  ob  de  ribber.  I  was 
too  good  a  dodger.     Great  Scotty  !    Bar's  anodder  !  " 

This  last  with  an  additional  shudder  as  another  shriek- 
ing thing  knocked  part  of  the  roof  off  over  our  heads. 

The  Federals  had  evidently  caught  sight  of  our  log- 
cabin,  and  judging  it  to  be  the  headquarters  of  the  regi- 
ment, were  getting  the  range  of  it  rapidly.  Telling 
Caucus  of  this  danger,  I  beckoned  him  to  come  with  me, 
for  the  noise  had  now  become  deafening,  and  we  could 
hardly  hear  each  other  speak.  Unheeded  by  the  Con- 
federates, who  were  too  much  occupied  in  the  front, 
we  took  refuge  behind  the  abutment  of  the  bridge 
on  our  side  the  river,  and  underneath  its  planking. 
Over  our  heads  we  now  could  hear  the  groans  and  curses 
of  the  wounded,  who  limped  and  staggered,  coming  in 
from  the  front  and  crossing  the  bridge.  The  number  of 
these  indicated  enormous  losses,  and  was  constantly  in- 
creasing, while  the  fire  from  the  front  showed  that  not 
only  a  brigade  but  almost  a  division  was  engaging  this 
one  Confederate  regiment.  This  fusillade  now  came 
also  very  heavily  from  either  flank,  both  up  and  down 
the  river,  enfilading  the  breastworks  and  rendering  them 
of  little  protection  to  the  few  men  who  were  now  so  des- 
perately holding  them  ;  falling  wounded  and  dying  by 
scores  without  any  of  the  cheers,  hurrahs  and  dashing 
excitement  of  a  charge — only  just  staying  there  and 
hopelessly  dying  as  a  plain,  commonplace,  everyday  duty 
— the  hardest  way  to  die. 

This  idea  seemed  to  impress  the  black,  for  he  muttered, 
looking  at  the  thinning  line  of  battle  :  "  Golly,  dose  rebs 
dies  jist  as  if  dey  was  use  to  it  !  " 


156  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

The  fight  had  lasted  now  nearly  two  hours.  A  couple 
of  batteries  and  the  bulk  of  the  Confederate  division  were 
going  past  on  the  road  across  the  river.  The  captains 
of  both  these  batteries  held  them,  and  I  could  see 
them  violently  expostulate  with  their  chief  of  artillery. 
Apparently  their  expostulations  were  listened  to.  One 
of  the  batteries  immediately  took  position  upon  our  right 
fiank  across  the  river,  in  a  field  some  two  hundred  yards 
up  the  stream,  opening  a  direct  fire  with  its  rifle-guns, 
sweeping  away  little  by  little  the  line  of  blue  that  was 
trying  to  edge  behind  and  cut  off  the  retreat  of  the 
Carolinians.  This  reduced  considerably  the  fire  of  the 
Federal  troops  from  that  point.  The  other  battery  took 
position  immediately  behind  the  road  on  a  little  eminence. 
Spreading  its  six  brass  Napoleon  smooth-bores  (just  the 
arms  for  the  purpose)  in  the  form  of  a  fan,  and  using 
them  at  very  high  elevations  as  mortars,  with  reduced 
powder  charges,  it  succeeded  in  dropping  its  shells  over 
the  Confederate  line  of  battle  immediately  in  the  Federal 
advancing  column  now  forming  for  a  charge.  The 
accurate  service  of  these  guns  was  very  important ;  to  give 
the  proper  range,  an  exact  charge  of  powder  was  neces- 
sary. 

The  captain  of  artillery,  leaving  his  battery,  galloped 
coolly  across  the  bridge,  through  the  hail  of  musket  balls, 
to  the  front  of  the  Carolinians.  I  could  see  him  talking 
with  Walton  for  a  few  minutes,  watching  where  his  shells 
fell,  and  signaling  to  the  orderly  whom  he  had  stationed 
midway  on  the  bridge  to  repeat  his  signs  to  the  officer 
in  command  of  his  battery.  These  evidently  indicated 
the  amount  of  powder  to  be  used,  for  this  was  changed 
several  times,  until  the  range  of  the  battery  became  very 
accurate,  for  I  could  see  through  the  trees  shell  after 
shell  exploding  in  the  blue  ranks  that  were  moving 
across  the  open  field. 

Having  got  his  range,  the  captain  of  artillery  gal- 
loped back  across  the  bridge  very  coolly,  though  I  noticed 
he  wiped  some  blood  from  a  flesh  wound  in  his  shoulder 
as  he  passed  me.  The  roar  of  guns  down  the  stream  also 
indicated  that  another  battery  had  taken  position,  and  was 
protecting  the  left,  flank  of  the  Confederate  regiment; 
otherwise  it  could  hardly  have  held  its  ground  as  long  as 
it  did,  for  the  line  of  blue  was  charging  !     The  slender 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  I57 

line  of  gray  infantry  waited  till  the  blue  columns  got 
within  a  hundred  yards  of  its  breastworks  ;  then  it  gave 
forth  its  fire  rapidly  and  continuously — so  rapidly  for  the 
number  of  men  involved,  that  I  knew  they  must  have 
collected  and  loaded  the  muskets  of  their  fallen  comrades 
in  order  to  obtain  the  great  weight  of  fire.  Under  this 
and  the  bursting  shells  from  the  Napoleon  guns  across 
the  river,  the  Federal  line  wavered  and  went  back,  leav- 
ing the  yellow  fields  it  crossed  covered  with  spots  and 
splashes  of  blue. 

Meantime  the  steady  tramp  of  the  infantry  of  the  Con- 
federate division,  some  of  it  going  at  double-quick,  came 
from  the  road  behind  me.  Its  last  few  regiments  were 
passing  us,  and  the  battery  down  the  river  was  withdrawn 
to  go  in  position  on  the  hills  beyond.  The  work  of  the 
South  Carolinians  was  nearly  over,  but  hardly  one  man 
in  three  remained  in  this  line  of  battle.  The  Federals 
were  again  massing  a  brigade  to  charge  it. 

Four  times  in  the  last  hour  had  Walton  come  back  to 
ask  the  lookout  on  the  bridge  if  they  had  not  seen  the 
signal  from  the  hills  in  the  rear.  Two  of  the  four  non- 
commissioned officers  placed  at  that  duty  were  wounded. 
The  third,  a  corporal,  in  command,  always  replied  :  "  No, 
colonel  !  "  and  shook  his  head. 

The  last  time  Walton  came,  he  limped  a  little  from  a 
slight  wound  in  the  leg. 

"  Please  mount  your  horse,  colonel,"  begged  the  cor- 
poral. 

"  No,  I  can  do  better  on  foot  yet.  My  God  !  will 
that  signal  never  come  ?  I  don't  want  all  my  men  to  die, 
and  this  charge  will  settle  us  !  "  and  Walton,  shading 
his  eyes  with  his  hand,  strained  them  to  see  if  he  could 
catch  the  signal. 

"  It  must  be  there  !  "  he  muttered,  then  suddenly  cried  : 

"//  has  come  !  " 

And  looking  through  the  smoke  of  battle  to  the  hills 
beyond,  I  could  discern  the  flags. 

The  colonel,  wounded  as  he  was,  ran  back  to  the  line 
of  battle  The  necessary  orders  were  given  very  quickly, 
for  the  companies  came  in  at  the  double-quick  pursued  by 
a  hailstorm  of  Federal  bullets.  But  where  was  the  regi- 
ment of  the  morning  ?  Each  company  seemed  but  a 
skeleton  squad,  and  half  of  these  men  were  staggering 


158  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

or  reeling  from  wounds  and  loss  of  blood.  Drawing  in 
upon  their  center  rapidly,  which  still  held  its  ground, 
they  lined  the  breastwork  immediately  in  front  of  us, 
and  as  the  Federal  charge  came  on,  gave  them  one 
crashing  volley,  while  the  Confederate  battery  behind  us 
dropped  six  more  shells  into  the  charging  lines. 

The  blue  was  checked  for  a  moment,  and  in  that 
moment  Walton,  with  the  ease  of  a  veteran,  withdrew 
his  men  across  the  bridge. 

While  he  was  doing  so,  Caucus  called  my  attention  to 
some  occurences  that  were  making  his  hair  stand  on  end. 

The  captain  of  artillery,  aided  by  a  couple  of  pioneers, 
had  rapidly  dug  a  hole  in  the  center  pier  of  the  bridge. 
Into  this  four  men,  running  down,  placed  four  kegs  of  gun- 
powder. Walton  turned  from  his  men,  and  he  and  the' 
artillery  officer  both  stayed  and  to  this  mine  deliberately 
attached  a  fuse.  Then  they  coolly  waited  until  the  rear 
guard  had  crossed  the  bridge,  and  reached  the  little 
breastwork  on  the  other  side  of  the  river.  Before  this 
was  done  there  was  another  heavy  volley,  and  several  of 
the  men  sank  dying  as  they  crossed  the  stream,  while 
Walton  himself  gave  a  start  that  indicated  he  had  re- 
ceived another  wound,  and  the  captain  of  the  battery  fell 
down  upon  the  bridge.  Coolly  striking  no  less  than  three 
matches  to  get  a  light,  under  this  fusillade  that  became 
more  deadly  every  moment,  Walton  deliberately  lit  the 
port  fire  that  led  to  the  mine ;  then  shouldering  the 
wounded  artillery  officer,  staggered  across  and  took  posi- 
tion behind  the  breastwork  to  check  the  Federal  advance 
for  the  last  time.  Both  the  batteries  of  artillery  limbered 
up  and  galloped  off  after  the  Confederate  infantry.  A 
division  had  been  saved — a  regiment  almost  annihilated. 

But  all  this  meant  little  to  Caucus  and  myself  now — we 
looked  only  at  the  smoking  fuse  that  would  explode  the 
bridge  under  which  we  were  concealed.  The  black's  face 
had  become  ashen.  His  chattering  teeth  said  :  "  Golly, 
when  dis  blows  up,  we  blows  up  too  !  "  The  cross-fire 
from  the  Federals  and  Confederates  made  it  almost 
certain  death  to  venture  on  the  bridge.  Caucus,  before  I 
knew  what  he  was  doing,  plunged  into  the  stream,  and  in 
twenty  or  thirty  vio^orous  strokes  reached  the  center  pier. 
Up  this  he  climbed,  for  it  was  not  more  than  five  feet 
high,  and,  sheltered  by  the  heavy  log  cribbing  from  the 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  I59 

Confederate  musketry,  deliberately  pulled  out  the  lighted 
fuse  from  the  mine.  For  a  moment  the  South  Carolin- 
ians did  not  notice  it,  but  a  second  after  a  cry  from 
Walton  came  across  the  river.  Cursing  the  black,  he 
called  to  his  men  to  follow  him,  and  firing  his  revolver  at 
Caucus,  ran  across  the  bridge. 

The  Confederates  rose  up,  but  the  fire  from  the 
approaching  Federals  was  too  heavy.  A  few  of  them  fell 
wounded  ;  the  rest  dropped  again  behind  the  breastwork. 

A  dozen  strides  brought  Walton  to  the  center  of  the 
bridge.  He  pulled  out  another  fuse,  and  attached  it  to 
the  powder,  this  time  cutting  it  off  very  short. 

His  revolver  firing  had  driven  Caucus  into  the  river, 
who  swam  back  to  me. 

•  As  the  colonel  was  about  to  light  the  fuse,  he  paused, 
staggered,  clapped  his  hand  to  his  side,  reeled  and  sank 
upon  the  bridge,  the  lighted  port  fire  from  his  hand  fall- 
ing sizzing  into  the  river.  The  Federal  advance  was 
already  at  our  end  of  the  bridge. 

With  a  yell  of  rage  for  their  fallen  commander,  the 
Carolinians  rushed  from  their  breastwork,  charged  across 
the  bridge,  and  at  the  center  the  blue  and  the  gray  met. 
Clubbed  muskets,  bayonets,  and  even  fists  were  used  in 
the  struggle. 

Swept  back  by  overwhelming  numbers  across  the 
bridge,  the  Confederates  bore  with  them  the  dead  body 
of  their  officer — another  hero  fallen  for  that  lost  cause 
whose  banner  had  already  began  to  droop  and  whose 
stars  began  to  fade. 

As  I  gazed  at  this  a  wave  of  blue  surged  round  me.  I 
had  not  come  to  the  Federal-  lines — the  Federal  lines  had 
come  to  me. 


CHAPTER    XIX. 

WHERE     WAS     SHE? 

Being  in  the  Union  lines  did  not  seem  to  improve  the 
position  of  either  Caucus  or  myself.  We  were  seized  as 
Confederate  prisoners. 

I  tried  to  explain  to  the  colonel  in  command,  but  he 


l6o  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

said  :  "  I  have  no  time  to  listen  to  you.  Say  what  you 
have  to  say  at  brigade  headquarters."  Then  we  were 
started  to  the  rear  in  a  hurry. 

This  seemed  to  astonish  Caucus  very  much.  He  sidled 
up  to  me,  for  we  were  huddled  together  with  a  few  Con- 
federate prisoners  and  stragglers  that  had  been  gleaned 
by  the  Federal  troops,  and  muttered  disconsolately  : 

"  Massa  Bryant,why  is  we  always  took  prisoners  ?  Don't 
seem  to  make  much  diff'rence  what  side  we  gits  on,  we's 
took  prisoners  anyway  !  " 

"  Move  along  there,  and  keep  your  wet  rags  to  your- 
self !  "  cried  one  of  the  guards  sharply,  as  Caucus  brushed 
against  him  with  his  dripping  garments. 

At  this  the  negro  looked  at  him  and  remarked,  plain- 
tively :  "  Dey  always  said  in  South  Ca'lina  dat  if  I  come 
Norf  I'd  be  treated  almighty  bad,  an'  seems  to  me  dey 
was  'bout  right.  Here  I  is,  come  all  dis  way  to  freedom 
and  darned  if  you  don't  treat  me  worse  dan  de  Rebs.  I 
was  tole  you  would  'sider  me  as  a  brudder,"  and  looking 
innocently  at  the  man,  he  set  his  comrades  into  shrieks  of 
laughter  by  saying  :  "  Be'ant  you  an  Abolitioner  ?  " 

"  No,  you  miserable  coon — I'm  a  Democrat  !  "  very  sav- 
agely cried  the  man  who  was,  by  his  uniform,  from  one 
of  the  Tennessee  Union  regiments.  ''  And  darn  you,  if 
you  don't  shut  up,  I'll  blow  the  top  of  your  sorrel  head 
off!" 

The  look  of  unutterable  astonishment  and  reproach 
with  which  Caucus  gazed  upon  this  unsympathetic  boy  in 
blue  as  he  tramped  along  to  the  rear  after  this  was  piti- 
able in  the  extreme. 

During  this  walk  I  meditated  that  the  only  way  that  I 
could  be  set  right  immediately  was  the  chance  that  Lieu- 
tenant Hanson  might  have  escaped.  I  questioned  Caucuu 
as  to  the  fate-of  our  companions.  He  said  two  of  them  had 
been  killed  and  one  wounded  by  the  Confederate  pickets. 
By  throwing  himself  in  the  bottom  of  the  boat,  he  had 
escaped  without  a  scratch. 

Upon  my  arrival  at  the  rear  I  was  sent  first  to  brigade 
and  then  to  division  headquarters,  the  general  of  which, 
as  the  firing  had  already  died  away  from  the  front,  had 
time  to  attend  to  me.  I  told  him  I  had  just  come  from 
the  battle. 

"  Battle  !  "    echoed    he,  with  a   smile.       "  Guess    you 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  t6l 

haven't  been  round  the  army  much.  That  was  only  a 
reconnoissance  in  force." 

I  inquired  of  him  iT  Lieutenant  Hanson  of  the  5th 
Kentucky  Cavalry  had  joined  his  command. 

After  some  inquiries  among  members  of  the  staff,  he 
told  me  that  he  had.  The  lieutenant  was  sent  for,  and  in 
a  very  few  moments  his  explanations  placed  me  and  Cau- 
cus upon  the  free  list. 

Upon  giving  a  detailed  account  of  my  adventures  to 
the  Federal  commander,  he  very  kindly  furnished  trans- 
portation for  Caucus  and  myself  to  the  North.  Two  days 
after  this  we  were  in  Nashville,  and  two  more  took  us  to 
my  home  in  Illinois.  Here  I  had  a  small  farm,  which, 
during  my  absence  in  the  South,  it  being  but  twenty  miles 
from  Chicago,  had  greatly  increased  in  value.  At  the 
local  post-office  I  inquired  anxiously  for  letters  for  me.  I 
had  instructed  my  wife  carefully  as  to  how  she  should 
address  and  send  letters  to  me  by  blockade-runners.  I 
had  been  two  months  on  the  journey,  which  would  have 
given  ample  time  for  a  letter  via  Nassau  to  reach  me; 
but  there  was  none  there. 

I  immediately  wrote  to  Laura  z'/a  Bermuda,  and  waited 
anxiously  for  six  weeks,  but  received  no  reply. 

It  was  now  April  of  1864.  The  blockade-runners  were 
often  captured  or  sunk  ;  the  letter  service  in  the  Confed- 
eracy was  very  uncertain.  My  epistle  might  have  miscar- 
ried. 

Despite  the  entreaties  of  my  friends  in  Illinois  that  I 
would  stay  with  them  longer,  I  determined  to  go  to  Nas- 
sau, for  my  anxiety  with  regard  to  Laura  had  become 
unendurable. 

Taking  Caucus,  who  now  seemed  to  think  me  bound 
to  support  him  for  the  remainder  of  his  life,  and  obtain- 
ing money  for  the  purpose  by  borrowing  a  small  sum 
upon  my  farm,  I  set  out  for  Nassau. 

Arriving  there  two  weeks  after  my  departure  from 
Illinois,  I  forwarded  another  letter  that  six  weeks  after  I 
knew  must  have  reached  the  Confederacy,  because  the 
blockade-runner  came  back  in  safety.  I  had  given  the 
letter  personally  to  the  captain,  who  informed  me  that 
he  had  placed  it  in  the  post-office  at  Wilmington,  North 
Carolina. 

Again  I  waited  anxiously  a   month.     Still    no   letter. 


l62  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

During  this  time  my  excitement,  agitation  and  misery 
became  greater  and  greater.  I  did  not  dare  to  visit  the 
Confederacy — certain  death  awaited  me  there  ;  yet  I  could 
hear  no  news  of  my  wife.  My  next  attempt  I  made 
in  another  way.  I  wrote  letters  to  Judge  Peyton, 
Miss  Belle,  and  Laura's  brother,  as  well  as  another 
epistle  to  my  wife,  and  one  to  my  friend  Stuart  Bee, 
and  waited  another  month  with  no  more  satisfactory 
result. 

All  this  time  I  had  tried  to  make  the  acquaintance  of 
passengers  on  the  blockade-runners  coming  from  South 
Carolina,  but  the  only  thing  I  could  learn  from  them  was 
that  they  thought  the  Peytons  were  ail  alive,  but  there 
was  some  sickness  in  the  family. 

At  this  information,  I  began  to  fear  that  my  wife 
might  have  expended  the  small  stock  of  money  I  had 
left  with  her  on  her  sick  relatives.  1  knew  her  unself- 
ish disposition.  I  bought  a  draft  on  a  local  bank  at 
Columbia,  and  forwarded  it  enclosed  in  another  letter  to 
my  darling  Laura. 

It  was  now  nearly  August.  At  times  I  wildly  thought 
of  disguising  myself  and  attempting  to  enter  the  Con- 
federacy. I  think  I  should  have  done  something  of 
the  kind,  for  my  desire  to  hear  of  my  wife  had  now 
almost  become  a  mania  which  was  undermining  my 
health,  taking  away  my  spirits,  and  shattering  my  nervous 
system,  had  not  I  about  this  time  received  a  letter  from 
Stuart  Bee  which  ran  as  follows : 

Savannah,  Ga.,  Aug.  i,  1864. 

My  Dear  Bryant  :  Your  letter  containing  the  account  of  your 
marriage  with  Miss  Peyton,  also  your  extraordinary  adventures  and 
escape  into  the  Union  lines,  came  to  hand  only  yesterday.  I  have 
been  away  from  Charleston  upon  military  duty  for  some  time  in  the 
interior  of  Georgia,  and  received  it  only  on  my  return  to  Savannah. 
All  I  can  tell  you  in  regard  to  your  wife  is,  that  I  know,  from 
friends  in  Columbia,  she  is  alive,  but  shall  write  and  make  particular 
inquiries,  and  forward  to  you  all  details  I  can  learn  in  regard  to  the 
young  lady  you  have  been  so  fortunate  to  win,  as  soon  as  they  are 
sent  to  me. 

Hoping  you  are  having  a  more  comfortable  time  in  Nassau  than 
you  had  on  Morris  Island,  I  am, 

Yours,  sincerely. 

Stuart  Bee. 

This  letter   kept  me   anxious    but    quiet    in    Nassau. 


HOW    I    ESCAPED,  163 

About  the  middle  of  September  an  additional  note  came 
from  Bee  which  ran  as  follows  : 

Savannah,  Ga.,  Sept.  4,  1S64. 
My  Dear  Bryant  :  I  have  just  received  news  from  Columbia  in 
answer  to  the  inquiries  I  made  with  regard  to  your  wife.  She  is 
ahve,  but  I  fear  not  having  a  very  pleasant  time  with  some  of  her 
relatives  in  regard  to  her  marriage  with  you,  and  I  think  from  what 
I  hear,  somewhat  of  an  invalid,  though  from  all  I  can  learn  her 
disease  is  not  at  all  dangerous,  and  nothing  that  need  to  give  you  any 
immediate  alarm.  I  write  you  the  plain  facts  of  the  case  as  I  get 
them.  Would  have  been  able  to  obtain  them  sooner,  but  everything 
at  present  seems  to  be  disorganized  in  the  Confederacy,  postal  ser- 
vice as  well  as  other  things.  Don't  let  this  make  you  anxious  enough 
to  attempt  to  visit  her,  for  I  assure  you  if  you  are  caught  again  in 
this  part  of  the  world  you  will  have  very  little  chance  of  escaping 
this  time. 

Yours  once  more, 

Stuart  Bee. 

Whether  Bee's  warning  would  have  had  any  effect  upon 
me,  I  do  not  know.  I  was  becoming  desperate,  and  ready 
to  take  desperate  chances  ;  in  fact,  had  almost  engaged 
my  passage  on  a  blockade -runner  for  the  Confederacy, 
when,  about  the  middle  of  October,  I  received  a  letter 
from  my  old  chum  Baxter,  who  held  a  staff  position  in 
Sherman's  army,  and  with  whom  I  had  opened  a  corre- 
spondence.    His  letter  was  to  the  point,  and  read  : 

Atlanta,  Ga.,  Oct.  8,  1S64. 
My  Dear  Bryant  :  Your  various  letters  to  me  seem  to  indicate 
that  your  anxiety  in  regard  to  your  wife  has  become  a  mania  with 
you.  I  have  no  doubt  that  the  lady  is  well,  and  some  of  her  friends 
may  have  intercepted  the  correspondence  between  you.  If  you  wish 
to  see  her  personally,  the  best  way  you  can  take  is  to  join  us.  I  am 
in  a  position  to  know  now  of  a  movement  that  will  take  this  army 
very  near  to  her.  I  am  not  at  liberty  to  say  more,  and  you  will  regard 
this  as  confidential.  Come  to  Atlanta  as  soon  as  possible,  and  I 
will  get  you  an  appointment  of  some  kind  that  will  enable  you  to 
accompany  the  army  ;  but  come  at  once,  as  very  shortly  the  railroad 
behind  us  will  be  cut  and  communication  will  be  severed  between  us 
and  the  outer  world. 

Your  old  friend, 

Thomas  Baxter. 

After  reading  this  letter  carefully,  I  canceled  my 
agreement  for  a  passage  on  the  blockade-runner,  and  two 
days  afterward  saw  me  on  the  steamer  bound  to  New 
York.    Making  a  few  hurried  preparations,  I  took  the  rail- 


164  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

road  for  Nashville,  and  then  pushed  forward  to  Atlanta, 
where  Hood  and  Sherman  were  at  present  confronting 
each  other. 

Here  everything  seemed  to  be  in  preparation  for  some 
great  military  movement.  The  divisions  of  Sherman's 
army  were  rapidly  filling  up;  recruits  being  hastened  to  the 
front,  and  men  and  officers  on  furlough  or  leave  of  absence 
being  called  in.  The  train  which  carried  me  to  Atlanta 
brought  a  large  number  of  them. 

After  some  trouble,  I  found  the  headquarters  of  the 
general's  staff,  and  there  met  my  friend  Baxter.  The 
mutual  confidences  incidental  to  the  reunion  of  old  chums 
being  over,  he  laughed  and  said  :  "  Got  your  carpet-bag 
with  you,  old  boy  ?  " 

''  To  go  where  ? "  I  asked, 

"  With  us  to  the  sea  !  You  want  to  find  your  wife. 
There  is  only  one  way  of  your  getting  to  South  Carolina, 
and  that  is  with  this  army.  We  will  soon  cut  loose  from 
our  base,  and  Heaven  knows  what  will  be  our  next  one. 
Now,"  he  continued,  "  if  you  want  to  go  with  us,  you 
have  got  to  become  one  of  us." 

"  What  !  "  I  said,  "  shoulder  a  musket  ?  " 

"  No,  shoulder  a  staff  appointment.      Come  with  me." 

He  led  me  in  to  the  chief  of  Sherman's  staff. 

That  officer  said,  ''  Mr.  Bryant,  Major  Baxter  tells  me 
you  are  an  engineer,  and  should  be  very  well  acquainted 
with  most  of  the  Georgia  railroads." 

''  Yes,"  I  replied,  "  I  have  assisted  in  building  a  good 
many  of  them." 

"  Then,"  he  remarked,  "  you  should  know  how  to  de- 
stroy them,— their  vital  places,  where  the  burning  of  a 
bridge  will  do  the  most  damage,  or  the  destruction  of  a 
culvert  cause  a  wash-out  of  the  track.  We  -expect  to 
destroy  a  great  many  railroads  on  this  trip,  and  if  you 
wish  to  accept  an  appointment  on  some  division  or  bri- 
gade commander's  staff,  I  will  get  it  for  you." 

I  replied  that  that  would  suit  me  very  well,  and  two 
days  afterward  found  me  acting  as  extra  aide-de-camp  to 
Major-General  Woods,  commanding  the  first  division  of 
Logan's  Fifteenth  Army  Corps,  temporarily  in  charge  of 
Osterhaus. 

By  November  12th,  the  last  locomotive  and  train  of 
cars  had  steamed  out  of  Atlanta.     These  gone,  we  burned 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  165 

the  railroads  leading  to  the  north,  to  prevent  their  being 
used  by  the  Confederates.  Thus  cut  off  from  all  sup- 
plies, communication,  and  reinforcements,  we  had  only 
the  power  of  our  sixty  thousand  veterans  to  rely  on. 
But  keep  them  in  bread  and  meat,  and  they  were  the 
kind  of  men  to  go  anywhere  and  do  anything.  On  the 
14th,  with  as  little  baggage,  ammunition,  and  general 
army  stores  as  it  was  considered  possible  for  this  great 
army  to  move  with,  we  left  Atlanta,  marching  southward, 
our  next  base  of  supplies  we  hoped  to  gain  being  Savan- 
nah, two  hundred  and  odd  miles  away  on  the  sea.  I 
do  not  intend  to  give  many  details  of  that  eventful  march. 
I  paid  very  little  attention  to  the  military  movements 
about  me,  except  so  far  as  obeying  my  orders,  and  fulfill- 
ing my  duties.  But  one  thought  dominated  my  mind, 
and  that  was  that  each  mile  that  army  traveled  carried 
me  a  mile  nearer  to  my  wife. 

Passing  through  the  rich  grain  lands  of  central 
Georgia  we  lived  as  Caucus  expressed  it,  "  like  fightin' 
chickens,"  my  table  being  bounteously  supplied  by 
him  ;  for  this  creature  was  now  in  his  element  ;  bring- 
ing a  large  youthful  experience  of  water-melon  raids  and 
turkey-stalks  to  bear  on  the  subject,  as  he  expressed  it, 
''  of  fightin'  for  de  grub. "  The  most  expert  "  bummer  "  of 
Sherman's  army  looked  with  envy  upon  Caucus  and  his 
extraordinary  contributions  to  our  larder.  Sometimes  he- 
would  come  in  riding  a  "  borrowed  "  horse,  a  turkey  and 
goose  slung  over  his  shoulder,  a  sack  of  grain  or  potatoes 
on  one  side,  a  few  strings  of  dried  apples  twisted  around 
his  neck,  and  driving  a  fat  pig  or  plump  calf  ahead  of  him. 
Passing  through  these  rich  plains  of  central  Geor- 
gia, pontooning  the  rivers,  the  bridges  having  been 
destroyed,  doing  a  little  skirmishing,  and  in  one  or  two 
places  some  hard  fighting,  and  all  the  time  destroying 
the  railroads  that  were  as  vital  to  the  existence  of  the 
Confederacy  as  arteries  to  the  life  of  man,  toward  the 
end  of  November  we  arrived  at  the  rice  lands  of  Georgia. 
By  this  time  the  army  consisted  of  three  divisions.  Fnst, 
the  regular  army,  disciplined  and  practiced,  that  kept 
their  ranks,  obeyed  their  orders,  and  did  the  fighting. 

Next  the  bummers,  stragglers,  and  worthless  men  of  all 
corps,  who  were  good— as  Caucus  expressed  it—"  only  to 
do  fightin'  for  de  grub." 


r66  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

Then  an  immense  concourse  of  negroes,  who  had  left 
their  homes  and  followed  the  army  that  had  brought 
them  freedom.  These  furnished  a  more  serious  impedi- 
ment to  us,  almost,  than  the  Confederates.  They  ate  up 
everything  they  could  put  their  teeth  on,  and  as  the 
army  was  compelled  to  depend  for  its  existence  upon  the 
country  through  which  it  passed,  if  we  had  had  another 
hundred  miles  to  march  through  the  rice  swamps  of 
Georgia,  I  doubt  if  many  would  have  avoided  starvation  ; 
for  the  bummers  got  the  best  of  all  foraged  provisions, 
the  first  pick  of  the  barn-yards,  and  grain -cribs  ;  the 
enormous  gangs  of  contrabands  the  rest  ;  and  the  army 
who  did  the  fighting  had  a  chance  at  what  was  left, 
which,  as  Caucus  remarked,  was  "  de  last  pick  ob  de 
bone  !  " 

However,  in  December  we  arrived  in  sight  of  the  sea, 
and  on  the  13th,  Fort  McAllister  having  been  captured 
by  assault,  we  were  in  communication  with  the  Federal 
fleet.  A  few  days  afterward  we  entered  Savannah,  which 
was  evacuated  by  the  Confederates  under  Hardee.  But 
here  disappointment  and  delay  awaited  me.  Sherman, 
to  complete  his  arrangements,  reorganize  his  army,  and 
obtain  fresh  supplies  and  ammunition,  remained  over  a 
month  in  Savannah. 

Every  day  I  had  marched,  I  had  said,  "■  So  many 
miles  nearer  to  Laura." 

Fancy  my  impatience  ! 

During  this  time,  I  made  all  the  inquiries  I  could  in 
Savannah  in  regard  to  the  Peytons,  but  could  learn  noth- 
ing new.  The  old  Confederate  inhabitants  had  nearly 
all  left  the  town,  and  those  who  remained  had  but  little 
to  tell  me.  However,  I  heard  frequently  of  Mr.  Amos 
Pierson.  Unable  to  obtain  the  money  due  him  from  the 
Confederate  Government  in  any  other  shape,  he  had 
received  a  large  amount  of  cotton  in  payment  of  his 
claims,  preferring  that  bulky  but  valuable  merchandise  to 
Confederate  money  that  was  now  almost  worthless.  Most 
of  this  cotton  had  been  shipped  into  South  Carolina  before 
the  approach  of  Sherman's  army,  and  stored  at  Colum- 
bia. I  had  no  doubt  that  Mr.  Pierson  would  be  near  his 
merchandise,  and  consequently  near  my  wife.  This 
made  me  more  anxious  than  ever  to  be  by  her  side. 

But  about  January  fifteenth  Sherman  made  his  prep- 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  l6f 

aratfons  to  leave  Savannali  for  his  campaign  in  South 
Carolina.  The  army  had  been  "fighting  light  "  when  we 
left  Atlanta,  but  now  it  might  be  called  "flying  light." 
Only  the  absolute  necessities  for  the  campaign  were  per- 
mitted us.  The  wounded,  sick,  and  non-competent  of 
every  class  were  left  behind. 

On  the  seventeenth  this  movement  really  began,  but  it 
was  delayed  by  tremendous  rains  that  flooded  the  swamps 
in  the  vicinity  of  Savannah  until  January  thirtieth,  when 
the  columns  were  fully  in  motion. 

In  Georgia  we  had  destroyed  railroads  ;  during  the 
march  through  South  Carolina  we  built  roads.  Day 
after  day  I  directed  companies  of  men  laying  down 
corduroys  over  swamps  and  floating  pontoons  across 
rivers.  Some  idea  of  the  herculean  labor  of  the  engineer 
corps  of  the  army  may  be  formed  from  the  fact  that  we 
bridged  the  Salkehatchie  River,  which  has  fifteen  dif- 
ferent channels,  between  sunrise^and  sunset.  Thus  fight- 
ing battles  and  building  bridges,  we  struggled  through 
the  swamps  and  morasses,  and  on  the  sixteenth  day  of 
Februar}^  1865,  looking  across  the  Saluda  River,  saw  the 
beautiful  capital  of  South  Carolina.  While  assisting  in 
our  preparations  to  bridge  the  river  I  could  almost  see 
Judge  Peyton's  home,  and  fondly  imagined  I  saw  the 
form  of  my  beloved  wife,  whose  face  I  had  longed  for 
but  never  seen  for  fourteen  months. 

Next  morning  in  spite  of  considerable  opposition  from 
detachments  of  Confederate  troops,  the  Fifteenth  Corps 
succeeded  in  laying  pontoons  and  crossing  the  river. 
Then  skirmishingbegan.  for  the  advance  guard  of  Woods' 
Division,  and  was  followed  up  by  additional  brigades 
being  put  in  action,  and  the  Confederates  being  driven 
over  two  miles.  From  their  last  position  they  retreated, 
and  the  mayor  of  Columbia  with  a  number  of  the  leading 
citizens  came  out  to  surrender  the  place  to  us.  While 
negotiations  for  this  were  going  on,  Caucus,  who  proba- 
bly knew  the  hen  roosts  of  the  neighborhood  very  well, 
had  been  out  on  a  foraging  expedition  in  the  company 
of  several  more  of  the  same  kidney.  About  two  o'clock 
he  came  riding  in  on  horseback  in  a  tremendous  state  of 
excitement,  and  coming  to  me  cried:  "Golly,  Massa 
Bryant,  if  you  want  to  save  Judge  Peyton's  house  you 
come  along  right  smart." 


1 68  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  "  said  I. 

"  Dat  swearin'  colonel  of  Kilpatrick's  Cavalry  what 
brags  dat  he  leaves  only  de  chimneys  and  neber  de 
houses,  has  gone  up  Judge  Peyton's  way,  an'  if  you  want 
to  take  care  ob  your  wife's  family  you  had  better  go 
quick." 

The  negro  seemed  very  much  excited  and  grieved  to 
think  of  the  fate  that  might  come  to  his  old  master. 
I  hardly  noted  this,  however,  for  I  rode  at  once  to 
Division  Headquarters.  General  Woods  was  seated  on 
his  horse. 

I  said  :  "  General,  can  I  have  leave  of  absence  for  the 
day  and  also  use  a  company  of  infantry  ?  " 

He  looked  at  me  inquiringly,  as  I  had  never  made  any 
such  request  before,  and  replied  :  "What  for  ?" 

"  To  protect  my  wdfe  !  " 

At  this  the  General  nearly  fell  off  his  horse  in  astonish- 
ment, and  gasped  :  "Your  wife  a  South  Carolinian,  who 
lives  here  ?  You  must  be  a  South  Carolina  Unionist; 
By  George  !  I  should  think  you  did  deserve  protection. " 

Explaining  to  him  the  peculiar  relations  I  bore  to  Judge 
Peyton's  family,  he  wrote  an  order  directing  a  company 
of  Stone's  brigade  to  go  with  me. 

As  they  filed  off  the  captain  remarked,  for  he  had  been 
placed  under  my  orders  for  this  expedition  :  "  What  do 
you  want  us  for  ?  Do  you  know  of  any  treasure  hid  in 
the  neighborhood  ?  ' 

I  explained  to  him  my  errand.  He  then  said  :  "  That's 
right,  I've  got  a  wife  myself  in  Iowa.  Boys,  we'll  follow 
him  lively  !  "  and  gave  his  men  the  order  to  "  double 
quick." 

Guided  by  Caucus,  we  took  a  short  cut.  I  had  already 
had  the  protection  signed  by  the  division  commander  for 
Judge  Peyton  and  his  family. 

Though  we  moved  rapidly,  we  were  not  too  soon. 

Riding  up  the  broad  avenue  of  oaks,  every  tree  of 
which  reminded  me  of  the  beautiful  girl  I  had  left  behind 
me,  my  heart  bounding  with  exultation  and  hope,  I 
galloped  up  to  the  house  and  found  it  in  possession  of 
the  Federal  soldiers. 

Not  heeding  the  marauders  that  were  swarming  over 
the  rooms  I  remembered  so  well,  I  only  thought  of  find- 
ing Laura  or  some  one  who  could  tell  me  of  her. 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  169 

The  negro  servants  had  all  fled  from  the  house  but  one 
that  Caucus  brought  in  from  tiie  garden,  knew  him  and 
was  not  afraid  of  him.  In  answer  to  our  questions  she 
said  Judge  Peyton's  family  fearing  what  was  now  taking 
place,  had  gone  into  Columbia  for  protection  that  after- 
noon just  before  the  cavalry  rode  up. 

I  asked  if  they  were  all  well. 

"  Yes,  Massa,  all  well." 

This  brought  from  me  a  sigh  of  relief  and  a  "  Thank 
God  !  " 

There  was  nothing  now  for  me  to  do  but  to  save  the 
Judge's  property,  which  I  did  with  considerable  trouble. 
Even  after  showing  the  protection  signed  by  General 
Wood,  one  of  the  cavalry  remarked  :  *'  Yes,  that  is  to 
protect  Judge  Peyton's  property,  but  these  'ere  goods  is 
now  our  property." 

Had  it  not  been  for  the  captain  of  infantry,  who  swore 
the  cavalry  should  obey  orders,  if  he  had  to  shoot  every 
one  of  them,  the  troopers  would  have  left  very  little  of 
Judge  Peyton's  house. 

All  this  took  considerable  time,  and  it  was  nearly  five 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon  when  I  succeeded  in  making  the 
proper  arrangements.  The  captain  of  infantry  left  a 
sergeant  and  a  squad  to  guard  the  house  over  night. 
Then  I  turned  into  the  main  road  to  Columbia. 

Not  wishing  to  travel  entirely  alone,  as  skirmishers 
and  Confederate  cavalry  might  be  about,  I  was  compelled 
to  take  the  time  that  the  tired  infantry  could  march  in, 
and  it  was  becoming  dusk  when  we  reached  Columbia. 

The  city  we  could  see  was  already  occupied  by  Federal 
troops;  the  flag  of  the  Union  flying  from  the  State  House. 

The  main  street  was  now  full  of  large  quantities  of  cot- 
ton and  other  articles,  dry  goods,  merchandise,  etc.,  which 
had  been  taken  out  ready  to  be  placed  on  trains  to  follow 
the  Confederates ;  this  our  rapid  advance  had  prevented. 
The  owner  of  the  cotton  I  incidentally  learned  was  my 
friend,  Amos  Pierson.  This  would  doubtless  be  confis- 
cated, and  Mr.  Pierson  shorn  of  a  great  deal  of  his  power 
and  wealth.  I  was  compelled  to  go  to  division  head- 
quarters to  make  my  report.  Here,  to  my  astonishment, 
I  heard  that  Amos  Pierson,  on  the  entry  of  our  troops, 
had  taken  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  the  Federal  Govern- 
ment, and  claimed  his  cotton  as  a  non-combatant. 


170  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

Long  before  this  I  had  dispatched  Caucus  to  try  and 
find  out  where  Judge  Peyton  had  taken  his  family. 

My  report  being  made,  I  was  now  free  to  seek  my  wife 
myself.  In  a  fever  of  excitement  I  went  to  the  houses 
at  which  I  thought  it  likely  she  would  be.  Elbowing  my 
way  through  streets  full  of  excited  boys  in  blue,  who  had 
unfortunately,  either  by  design  or  accident,  obtained  a 
large  amount  of  Confederate  whisky,  which  had  excited 
them  still  more,  I  sought  my  wife  without  success. 
vSome  of  the  people  I  called  on  had  left  the  town  ;  the 
others  had  not  seen  the  Peytons,  and  were  too  nervous 
about  their  own  affairs  to  care  much  for  those  of  any  one 
else. 

All  this  time  with  cheers  and  cries  the  soldiers  paraded 
the  streets  in  squads— even  a  strong  provost-guard  having 
but  little  control  over  them,  the  citizens  looking  at  them, 
some  with  scowls  and  a  few  with  joy  on  their  faces  from 
the  surrounding  houses  and  gardens.  I  went  back  to 
headquarters  to  wait  impatiently  for  Caucus  to  report 
where  I  could  find  my  wife,  for  without  some  definite 
knowledge  I  might  have  wandered  for  days — perhaps 
weeks — in  that  motley  throng,  and  never  have  seen  her  ; 
for  no  ladies  were  walking  the  streets  of  Columbia  that 
night. 

While  doing  this  I  was  surprised  and  astonished  to  hear 
a  very  violent  commotion.  Looking  out  of  the  window  I 
saw  a  faint  glow  down  the  main  street.  This  gradually 
became  larger  and  larger,  and  the  accompanying  noise 
louder  and  more  violent.  Hurrying  out,  I,  to  my  horror, 
saw  a  portion  of  the  city  was  in  conflagration.  A 
very  heavy  wind  added  to  its  violence,  w^hile  drunken 
soldiers,  bummers  and  camp  followers  crazy  with  drink, 
spread  the  flames.  A  sudden  fear  darted  through  me. 
What,  in  a  burning  town  full  of  drunken  soldiers,  in  the 
dead  of  the  night,  would  be  the  fate  of  my  wife  ?  I  must 
find  her  now ! 

The  flames  roared  more  fiercely  than  ever,  the  public 
buildings  catching  fire.  Down  the  main  street  immense 
piles  of  cotton  became  each  a  huge  bonfire,  the  wind  car- 
ried the  flaming  flakes  for  blocks  around,  spreading  the  fire 
over  a  large  portion  of  the  city.  Inaction  was  impossible 
to  me.  I  was  about  to  run  blindly  seeking  her,  when 
Caucus  came  panting  to  headquarters. 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  lyi 

"  Where  is  she  ? "  I  cried, 

"  Don't  know  sah  !  But  tink  Miss  Laura's  at  Colonel 
Pickens.  Nancy  Jackson  said  dat  dey  was  'spected 
dar  !  " 

I  was  already  running  in  that  direction,  for  the  Pickens 
mansion  was  in  almost  the  center  of  the  burning  district  J 


CHAPTER  XX. 

THE    LITTLE    HOSTAGE. 

Following  Caucus  through  the  streets  of  the  city, 
wildly  jostling  drunken  soldiers  and  citizens  trying  to 
save  their  household  goods,  we  plunged  into  the  burning 
portion  of  the  town,  and  arrived  at  the  Pickens  mansion. 
This,  being  surrounded  by  a  garden,  I  had  hoped  might 
have  escaped,  but  it  was  also  in  flames.  The  family  had 
fled  from  it,  taking  with  them  what  possessions  they 
could  carry. 

Inquiring  of  some  negroes  who  were  trying  to  save 
their  household  goods,  they  hurriedly  told  me  that  the 
Peytons  had  been  there,  but  being  driven  out  by  the 
flames,  had  left  about  half  an  hour  before.  I  asked 
which  way.  They  pointed  along  another  street,  but 
gave  little  attention  to  me  ;  they  were  too  busy  trying  to 
save  a  little  of  their  possessions  from  the  wreck.  Fight- 
ing my  way  through  the  throng  with  one  idea — to  find 
my  wife  and  aid  her — I  was  suddenly  arrested  by  a  crowd 
even  more  dense  than  that  through  which  I  had  passed. 

At  this  moment  Caucus  stopped  and  cried  out,  "  Golly  ! 
Look  at  dat  chile  !  " 

"What  do  you  mean?  "said  I.  '"Come  along  and 
help  me  find  my  wife." 

As  I  uttered  this,  my  attention  was  arrested  by  a 
shriek  that  apparently  came  from  above  me.  Looking 
through  the  trees  of  a  small  garden,  I  perceived  a  house 
which  was  rapidly  becoming  a  mass  of  flames. 

At  one  of  the  upper  windows  of  this  a  mulatto  servant 
girl,  holding  in  one  arm  a  child,  apparently  white,  was  ges- 
ticulating wildly  with  the  other  and  calling  for  assistance. 
My  wife  was  probably  safe^  while  this  girl  and  her  child 


172  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

were  in  mortal  danger.  For  a  moment  I  hesitated  ; 
tiien  dashed  into  the  garden  to  save  them. 

I  had  had  some  experience  in  my  youth  as  a  member 
of  a  volunteer  fire  company,  and  calling  to  Caucus  to 
follow  me,  I  pushed  through  the  crowd  up  to  the  house. 
No  one  was  in  the  yard  but  negroes,  and  they  were  so 
panic-stricken  that  they  had  lost  their  wits,  and  though 
yelling  and  howling  like  madmen,  were  doing  nothing 
to  aid  this  woman  in  her  extremity.  With  a  ladder 
I  could  have  rescued  her  easily,  but  there  seemed  to 
be  none  at  hand.  Bolting  into  the  house,  I  tried  the 
stairway,  but  it  was  burning  and  impossible  to  ascend. 
As  I  did  so,  the  girl  screamed  and  groaned,  probably 
merely  from  terror,  as  the  flames  had  not  yet  reached 
her,  though  this  would  be  but  a  matter  of  a  very  few 
moments. 

As  I  ran  around  the  building  trying  to  find  a  ladder 
by  which  to  reach  the  upper  windows,  I  caught  sight 
of  a  tree  at  the  other  end  of  the  house.  The  branches 
of  this  overhung  the  burning  dwelling.  Being  a  live 
oak,  and  green,  this  had  not  caught  fire.  If  I  could 
descend  from  its  branches  to  the  house  I  might  save  her. 
Looking  around  for  a  rope,  my  eye  caught  sight  of  the 
garden  hose  that  had  been  used  against  the  flames  and 
then  deserted.  This  I  took,  and  Caucus,  who  was  an 
expert  climber,  joining  me,  we  both  had  little  difficulty 
in  reaching  a  branch  of  the  tree  immediately  over  the 
house. 

Using  the  hose  as  a  rope,  I  descended  onto  the  roof 
of  the  veranda  just  in  time,  and  breaking  open  one  of 
the  windows,  sprang  into  the  room,  which  was  now  full  of 
suffocating  smoke.  Seizing  the  child  from  the  almost 
fainting  girl,  I  carried  it  to  the  roof  and  passed  it  up  to 
Caucus  as  he  reached  down  from  the  limb  of  the  tree. 

The  rescue  of  the  mulatto  girl  was  more  difficult.  She 
seemed  to  have  lost  entirely  the  use  of  her  limbs  from  ter- 
ror, but  the  roaring  of  the  flames  made  me  think  quickly, 
and  knotting  the  hose  about  her  I  climbed  up  it  again  to 
the  tree.  Then  Caucus  and  I,  using  this  hose  as  a  rope, 
succeeded  in  swinging  her  off  the  veranda,  and  lowering 
her  to  the  ground  below.  Unfortunately  the  hose,  which 
was  rotten,  broke  ;  and  the  girl's  descent,  for  tiie  last  few 
feet,  was  very  rapid. 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  I73 

As  we  did  this,  a  low  moan  or  scream  came  from  the 
street  in  front  of  the  house,  apparently  from  a  woman. 

The  little  baby,  I  could  now  see  by  the  red  glow  of  the 
fire,  was  white.  The  mulatto  girl  was  probably  its  nurse. 
Holding  the  little  infant  tenderly  in  my  arms,  I  descended 
the  tree  carefully  but  rapidly,  as  the  flames  were  making 
my  perch  very  warm  and  uncomfortable.  As  I  did  so, 
the  child,  which  had  been  asleep,  opened  its  arms  and 
gave  a  little  crow. 

Caucus  having  gotten  the  girl  on  her  feet,  she  recog- 
nized and  spoke  to  him,  and  the  negro  ran  frantically 
out  to  the  street,  before  I  had  descended.  A  minute 
after  he  returned,  his  eyes  rolling,  his  teeth  jabbering  with 
excitement,  crying  : 

"  Sah,  dar's  a  lady  in  de  street  what  would  like  to  tank 
you  for  savin'  her  baby." 

"  Take  the  child  to  her,"  replied  I,  and  was  about  to 
hand  it  to  him.  "  Then  come  with  me.  My  wife  again 
demands  every  effort  of  mine." 

"  But,  sah,  de  lady  'sists  on  seein'  you." 

With  this  he  ran  along,  clapped  his  hands  and  crowed, 
then  came  back  to  me  and  chuckled,  "  Golly,  don't  em 
look  like  em  daddy  !  "and  jabbered  and  poked  the  infant 
under  the  chin  until  I  thought  he  had  gone  crazy. 

But  at  this  moment,  an  old  gentleman,  whose  face  by 
the  light  of  the  burning  buildings  made  me  start,  came 
rapidly  up  to  me,  seized  me  by  the  hand  and  said,  "  Though 
you  wear  the  uniform  of  the  United  States,  let  me  thank 
you  for  what  you  have  done  for  my  family.  My  daugh- 
ter here  desires  to  thank  you  and  bless  you  for  saving 
her  child." 

"  Yes,  and  I  thank  him,  too,"  cried  a  girlish  voice  that 
seemed  familiar,  "though  he  is  a  Yankee," 

I  gave  a  stare.  Miss  Belle  was  standing  near  me. 
The  other  lady,  the  mother  of  the  child,  was  murmuring 
blessings  on  my  head,  extending  her  hands  to  take  her 
baby  from  me,  but  as  she  did  so  I  gave  a  cry  of  startled 
joy. 

Her  eyes,  bent  down  upon  her  infant  to  see  that  it  was 
entirely  safe,  at  this  were  lifted  to  mine.  She  gave  a 
stifled  shriek,  "  Lawrence  !  "  and  fell  fainting,  but  I  caught 
her  to  my  heart  as  there  thrilled  through  me  a  wave  of 
ineffable  tenderness  and  supreme  joy,  for  something  sang 


174  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

in  my  brain  that  I  had  my  wife  and  my  child  in  my  arms 
at  the  same  moment. 

As  for  the  rest  of  them,  they  stared  hke  crazy  people. 
The  Judge  faltered,  "  Great  heavens  !  "  while  Miss  Belle 
cried  out,  *'  Her  husband  !  "  and  seemed  almost  as  much 
overcome  as  her  sister,  though  she  did  not  come  to  me 
and  take  my  hand  as  she  had  been  about  to,  when  Laura 
recognized  me. 

The  Judge,  after  a  moment,  said  suddenly  :  "  Law- 
rence, you  came  just  in  time.  Get  your  wife  and  child 
away  from  here  ;  then  I'll  talk  to  you." 

This  we  did,  the  Judge  explaining  to  me  the  accident 
by  which  my  little  baby  had  been  endangered.  Driven 
away  by  the  flames  from  the  Pickens  house,  my  wife,  not 
having  the  strength  to  support  the  child  herself,  had  taken 
a  mulatto  girl  to  carry  it.  This  girl,  in  the  struggling 
crowd,  had  got  lost,  though  Laura  ran  about  the  streets 
like  a  mad  woman  trying  to  find  her.  Being  frightened, 
the  girl  had  taken  refuge  from  some  drunken  soldiers, 
and  gone  up  in  the  second  story  of  the  house,  which  was 
deserted  by  its  owners,  to  be  further  away  from  the  brutes, 
mad  with  whisky,  who  were  following  her.  In  her  terror 
she  had  not  discovered  that  the  house  was  burning,  until 
too  late  to  escape  by  the  stairs. 

While  the  Judge  was  telling  me  this,  Laura  had  partly 
regained  her  senses,  and  clung  to  me  in  that  nervous, 
appealing  tanner  which  shows  a  man  that  a  wife  knows 
her  husband  is  by  her  side. 

We  had  now  got  out  of  the  immediate  vicinit}^  of  the 
fire,  and  I  told  the  Judge  of  having  saved  his  home  from 
the  marauding  cavalry. 

Obtaining  a  pass  and  escort  from  headquarters,  and 
Caucus  procuring  an  old  wagon  and  pair  of  army  mules, 
about  twelve  o'clock  at  night  we  all  returned  once  more 
to  the  Oaks. 

During  this  time  Miss  Belle  had  not  said  one  word  to 
me,  although  she  looked  at  me  very  often,  and  some- 
times her  glance  seemed  to  me  to  be  that  of  shame,  which 
was  very  unusual  in  this  young  lady,  as  she  was  not 
accustom.ed  to  begging  anybody's  pardon  under  any 
circumstances.  However,  I  was  too  busy  to  think  of 
Belle.  I  had  my  child  and  my  wife,  who  told  me  in  a 
few  hurried  words  that  anxiety  for  my  safety  had  made 


HOW    I    ESCAPED,  I75 

her  sick.  That  her  brother  and  father,  after  learning  of 
her  marriage,  had  always  been  kind  to  her,  but  that  Miss 
Belle  for  six  or  seven  months  had  never  spoken  to  her,  and 
had  only  become  reconciled  to  her  when  her  approaching 
motherhood  had  made  her  very  feeble.  "  But  then,  Law- 
rence, Belle  became  an  angel  !  "  murmured  Laura,  "  and 
nursed  me  like  the  kind  sister  she  had  always  been  be- 
fore. She  will  forgive  you,  Lawrence,  in  time.  You 
saved  the  baby,  and  Belle  adores  it,  and  that  will  make 
her  tender  to  you  some  day." 

The  next  morning  I  rode  in  to  division  headquarters, 
and  after  telling  the  general  my  story,  he  laughed  and 
said  :  "  After  such  a  separation,  you  had  better  remain 
with  your  wife." 

"  That  is  impossible,"  I  returned.  *'  In  a  day  or  two 
the  army  leaves  here,  and  I  have  got  to  go  with  it  to  the 
front." 

"  Not  at  all,"  he  replied.  "We  must  leave  a  garrison  in 
this  place,  and  I  think  I  can  get  you  detailed  for  that 
duty.  You  have  been  away  from  your  wife  for  a  long 
time,  and  you  may  as  well  remain  as  somebody  who  has 
no  ties  in  Columbia.  Besides,  you  are  acquainted  with 
the  inhabitants  here  ;  they  knew  you  before  the  war,  and 
General  Sherman  wishes  to  establish  a  good  feeling 
between  the  troops  in  garrison  and  the  people  in  the 
place.  This  fire  has  probably  made  them  very  bitter 
toward  him,  though  we  consider  that  it  was  not  our  doing, 
as  the  disaster  began  by  the  burning  cotton,  which  was 
fired  by  the  Confederate  cavalry  to  prevent  it  from  falling 
into  our  hands.  As  to  the  loss  of  the  cotton,  I  am  not  at 
all  sorry  for  it.  It  belonged  to  Amos  Pierson,  and  the 
miserable  turncoat  took  the  oath  of  allegiance  the  first 
man  in  Columbia." 

Two  days  afterward  the  bulk  of  Sherman's  army 
marched  out  toward  North  Carolina,  to  make  the  clos- 
ing campaign  of  the  war.  News  came  back  from  it  day 
by  day  of  its  further  advance  and  further  success. 

The  loss  of  his  cotton,  however,  made  Mr.  Amos  Pier- 
son  a  very  poor  man. 

A  few  days  afterward  I  had  reason  to  know  of  this, 
because  the  old  Judge  called  me  into  his  study  and 
asked  my  advice. 

He  said  :    "  Mr.  Bryant — or  rather,  Lawrence — you  are 


176  HOW    I   ESCAPED. 

now  one  of  my  family  ;  the  only  male  member  of  it 
that  I  can  speak  to  on  this  matter.  My  son  is  away  in 
the  Confederate  army  in  North  Carolina,  and  as  for  the 
girls,  they  have  no  head  for  business.  Two  years  ago  I 
was  compelled  to  mortgage  this  place,  for  the  necessities 
of  my  family,  to  Mr,  Amos  Pierson  for  twenty-five  thou- 
sand dollars.  The  note  falls  due  to-morrow,  and  he 
demands  payment  of  the  same." 

Twenty-five  thousand  dollars  seemed  to  me  a  big  sum 
for  a  moment,  but  when  I  reflected  that  it  was  in  Con- 
federate money,  it  almost  dwindled  to  nothing  when  re- 
solved into  greenbacks. 

I  looked  over  the  note,  and  found  that  it  was  a  specific 
contract  to  pay  twenty-five  thousand  dollars  in  the  "  law- 
ful money  of  the  Confederate  States  of  America,"  and 
secured  by  a  mortgage  upon  "The  Oaks." 

At  this  I  gave  a  laugh,  and  said  :  "  I  will  attend  to  this 
matter.  It  is  not  difficult  to  obtain  twenty-five  thousand 
dollars  in  Confederate  money  now.  This  fifty-dollar 
United  States  bill,  I  think,  will  cover  your  mortgage. 
The  Confederate  States  are  still  a  government  de  facto, 
and  this  is  a  specific  contract.  If  you  will  come  with 
me,  we  will  make  the  tender  in  due  form." 

The  next  day  accompanied  by  Caucus,  who  wheeled 
twenty-five  thousand  dollars  in  Confederate  shinplasters 
alongside  of  us  in  a  wheelbarrow,  we  went  into  Columbia, 
and  going  into  Mr,  Pierson's  office,  for  the  second  time 
in  my  life,  I  saw  the  gentleman  who  had  given  me  a  great 
deal  of  trouble. 

He  was  looking  very  miserable,  for  the  war  had  dealt 
very  hardly  with  him,  and  the  loss  of  his  cotton  seemed  to 
be  almost  the  finishing  blow.  He  smiled,  however,  upon 
our  entrance,  and  was  quite  pleased  to  receive  the  money 
that  Judge  Peyton  owed  him.  But  on  my  tendering  it  to 
him  in  Confederate  currency,  he  literally  gave  a  shriek, 
and  demanded  bills  of  the  United  States  of  America  as 
being  the  only  legal  tender  then  due. 

Upon  my  explaining  to  him  the  specific  nature  of  the 
contract,  and  making  tender  for  same,  and  calling  in 
several  citizens  and  a  notary  public  to  witness  this  same 
tender,  and  sealing  the  Confederate  shinplasters  up  in  his 
presence,  having  counted  them,  he  became  abusive. 
"You    ex-convict!"    he   cried,   "didn't   I    put  you    oc 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  T77 

Morris  Island  in  a  striped  dress  ?  I'll  put  you  in  a  striped 
dress  again,— a  very  different  uniform  from  the  fancy 
blue  you  now  wear  ! — the  accursed  uniform  that  has 
ruined  me !  " 

At  this,  Morris  Island  and  all  my  wrongs  at  his  hands 
rose  up  in  me.  I  forgot  myself,  and  after  hammering 
Mr.  Pierson  in  a  way  that  made  Caucus  cheer  with  joy,  I 
kicked  him  out  of  his  own  office,  and  never  felt  happier 
in  my  life  than  at  the  day's  work  I  had  done. 

This  tender  of  Confederate  money  of  course  brought 
on  litigation  that  has  not  been  ended  to  this  day, — the 
Judge  holding  on  to  his  homestead.  Mr.  Pierson  still  has 
twenty-five  thousand  dollars  in  Confederate  money  sealed 
up  awaiting  his  order. 

During  these  few  weeks  Miss  Belle  never  spoke  to  me. 
Sometimes  as  I  passed  her  she  would  give  a  little  shud- 
der and  shrink  away,  not  with  horror  or  loathing,  but 
rather  it  seemed  to  me  with  shame. 

I  had  questioned  my  wife  with  regard  to  the  numerous 
letters  and  draft  I  sent  her.  To  my  astonishment  she 
said:  "I  never  received  a  line  from  you,  Lawrence,  but 
have  written  you  many,  many  times.  This  has  had  as 
much  to  do  with  my  illness  as  anything  else — my  anxiety 
for  you,  and  my  fear  that  you  might  be  dead,  for  I  felt 
sure  you  would  write  me  if  you  were  alive." 

I  explained  to  her  the  various  methods  I  had  taken 
to  communicate  with  her,  and  she  seemed  very  much 
astounded. 

"  Surely,"  she  cried,  "■  some  one  of  them  must  have 
reached  me.  Some  letter  from  me  should  certainly  have 
found  you.  And  the  draft  !  What  can  have  become  of 
that  ?  " 

I  inquired  at  the  bank  in  Columbia  upon  which  I  had 
received  the  exchange,  and  found  that  though  they  had 
advices  of  same,  no  such  draft  had  yet  been  presented. 

I  held  several  conversations  with  my  wife  with  regard 
to  this,  but  we  were  never  able  to  fathom  it.  I  spoke  to 
the  Judge, — he  knew  nothing  about  it. 

"  I'll  speak  to  Belle  about  it.  She's  had  full  charge  of 
the  household  while  I  have  been  sick,"  said  Laura. 

But  I  remarked, ''  Better  let  the  matter  drop."  Whether 
it  was  something  in  my  manner  gave  my  wife  a  suspicion 
I  know  not  ;  but  she  burst  out  at  me  :  "  You  don't  think 


178  HOW    I    ESCAPED. 

my  sister  would  do  such  a  thing  ?  You  don't  think  my 
sister  would  be  mean  enough  to  withhold  a  husband's 
letters  from  his  wife,  or  a  wifes  from  her  husband  ?  " 

"  No,"  I  said,  "  I  don't.  I  don't  care  what  has 
happened  to  the  letters,  Laura,  since  I  have  you  and  our 
child  now,  and  that  is  enough  for  me  !  " 

Whether  Belle  overheard  this  conversation  or  not  I  do 
not  know,  but  I  was  sitting  out  in  the  grounds  the  next 
morning  when  that  young  lady  came  to  me.  Her  face 
Avas  very  red,  and  her  hands  trembled. 

I  said,  "  Good-morning,  Belle,"  as  I  always  addressed 
her  though  she  had  never  yet  spoken  to  me. 

Then  she  cried  out  :  "  How  can  you  treat  me  so  well, 
when  I  used  to  hate  you  so  ? " 

"  Used  to  ?  "  I  said. 

"  Yes,"  she  replied.  "  But  I  have  forgiven  you  since 
you  saved  the  baby — my  dear  little  nephew." 

''  Oh,"  I  laughed,  "  Belle,  I  don't  think  you  ever  hated 
me  very  much." 

"  Didn't  I  ?  "  she  cried.  *'  Look  at  these  !  These 
will  tell  you  how  I  hated  you,  and  how  much  I  am 
ashamed  of  myself." 

Then  the  girl  burst  out  sobbing  as  she  dropped  a 
packet  of  letters  into  my  hand.  They  were  those  from 
my  wife  to  me  and  those  I  had  written  to  her,  all  of  them 
unopened. 

"  Now,"  she  muttered,  "  I  want  to  speak  to  you  if  you 
can  ever  forgive  me.  I  want  to  ask  one  favor  whether  you 
forgive  me  or  not.  In  my  hate  for  you  and  my  rage  at  my 
sister  having  married  one  of  our  enemies,  I  have  done 
something  that  will  make  my  sister  despise  me  ;  perhaps 
also  my  father  and  brother.  They  are  noble  ;  they  do 
not  sneak  about  and  steal  letters  as  I  did,  and  watch  for 
them.  Now  1  want  to  keep  my  sister's  love.  If  you 
tell  her,  I  am  afraid  I  will  lose  it.  You  are  a  Northern 
man,  and  your  side  has  conquered.  You  have  every- 
tliing — have  pity  also.  Leave  me  my  sister's  love." 
And  she  commenced  to  sob  more  bitterly  than  ever. 

"  Miss  Belle,"  I  said,  "  why  don't  you  ask  for  a 
brother's  love?" 

''  Your  love  ?  "  she  gasped. 

"  Yes,"  I  said,  and  put  my  hand  upon  hers,  but  as 
I  did  so  she  cau'jhi:  sight  of  my  blue  uniform,  and  cried 


HOW    I    ESCAPED.  I79 

**  Not  yet  !  "  Then  after  a  pause  the  girl  continued ; 
"  You  have  been  very  noble  to  me,  and  perhaps  it  will 
come  in  time.  If  the  North  is  as  noble  and  magnanimous 
as  you  are  to  me,  perhaps  the  North  and  South  may  yet 
be  brother  and  sister,"  and  ran  away  from  me. 

But  every  day  after  this  she  became  more  friendly,  and 
when  her  brother  came  home  after  Johnston's  surrender, 
even  his  empty  sleeve  did  not  make  her  take  her  hand 
off  my  shoulder  as  we  all,  from  the  piazza,  watched  him 
ride  up  the  avenue  of  oaks  to  be  clasped  in  his  father's 
arms. 

Soon  after  this  my  gallant  friend  Bee,  who  had  done  so 
much  to  bring  Laura  and  me  together,  on  his  way  to 
Georgia  from  Lee's  surrendered  army  stopped  to  spend 
a  few  days  with  us.  He  was  going  back  to  a  ruined 
plantation,  a  deserted  home  and  a  wrecked  fortune,  but 
he  was  the  same  gallant  de'bonnaire  Georgian  as  ever, 
and  he  laughed  and  said,  as  he  bade  us  good-by  :  "  Per- 
haps when  I  get  a  home  and  something  to  eat  in  Georgia, 
I  may  come  back  to  see  you  again,  I  presume  by  that 
time  I  will  need  a  wife." 

Here  he  looked  at  Miss  Belle,  who  blushed  very  deeply 
and  went  silently  into  the  house. 

So  we  began  our  life  over  again.  There  were  plenty 
of  railroads  to  rebuild  in  the  South,  and  the  value  of  my 
farm  in  Illinois  made  me  quite  rich  at  that  time  and  in 
that  region  of  country. 

And  while  doing  so  the  stragglers  from  the  Confederate 
army  gradually  dropped  into  their  old  places  one  by 
one — those  that  were  left  of  them.  Then  one  day  my 
wife  said  to  me  as  we  sat  on  the  old  porch  of  "  The 
Oaks,"  the  Judge  smoking  a  Havana  cigar  now,  instead 
of  his  old  corncob,  and  Caucus  at  the  other  end  of  the 
veranda  chuckling  to  our  little  boy,  who  was  crowing  at 
him  in  the  arms  of  Miss  Belle,  "  Most  of  our  soldiers 
are  home  now,  but  Major  Harry  Walton  has  never  re- 
turned, and  I  have  not  heard  of  him  for  nearly  a  year. 
Can  he  be  one  of  the  dead  ?  " 

On  this,  I  told  my  wife  the  story  of  her  letter  ;  how 
it  had  saved  my  life  ;  how  Walton  had  loved  her  too 
much  to  make  her  a  widow,  and  had  died  fighting  for  the 
cause  he  loved  and  believed  in,  as  so  many  more  Southern 
gentlemen  did  in  those  four  years  of  war.     And  as  my 


l8o  HOW    I    ESCAPED, 

words  disclosed  to  Laura  the  unselfish  love  of  the  dead 
Confederate  for  her,  and  what  it  had  done  for  me,  she 
clung  to  me  and  murmured  : 

"  Lawrence,  we  have  not  christened  our  boy  yet.  Let 
us  call  him  by  the  name  of  the  man  who  gave  his  father 
life  while  he  found  death.  Let  us  call  him  Harry 
Walton  Bryant." 


FINIS. 


OPTNIONS     OP 

THE    GREAT    NOVEL, 

Mr.  Barnes 

of  New  York. 

ENGLAND. 

"There  is  no  reason  for  surprise  at  'Mr.  Barnes' 
being  a  big  hit'' — Tfu  Referee^  London,  March  25th. 

''^Exciting  and  interesting T — The  Graphic. 


li  ( 


Marina  Paoli' — a  giant  character — just  as  strong 
as  '  Fedora.' " — Illustrated  London  News. 

"A  capital  story — most  people  have  read  it — I 
recommend  it  to  all  the  others." 

— James  Payne  in  Illustrated  London  News. 

AMERICA. 

"Told  with  the  genius  of  Alexander  Dumas,  the 
Elder." — Amusement  Gazette. 

"  Have  you  read  *  Mr.  Barnes  of  New  York  ? '  If 
no,  go  and  read  it  at  once,  and  thank  me  for  suggesting 
it.  ...  I  want  to  be  put  on  record  as  saying  *  it  is 
the  best  story  of  the  day — the  best  I  have  read  in  ten 
years.' " — Joe  Howard  in  Boston  Globe. 

But  at   that   time   Mr.   Howard  had 
not  read 

"Mr.  Potter  of  Texas/' 


THE   MOST   EXTRAORDINARY, 
THE   MOST   EXCITING, 

THE   MOST   MARVELOUS 

STORY   EVER   WRITTEN, 

A  Florida 

Enchantment. 

By 

ARCHIBALD  CLAVERING  GUNTER, 

Author  of 

"  MR.  BARNES  OF  NEW  YORK," 
"  MR.  POTTER   OF  TEXAS," 
"THAT  FRENCHMAN!" 

"  MISS  NOBODY  OF  NOWHERE,"  etc., 

and 

FERGUS  REDMOND. 


FOR    SALE    EVERYWHERE. 


THE    HOME    PUBLISHING    CO., 
NEW  YORK. 


Mr.  Potter 

of  Texas. 

AMERICAN  EDITION, 

170,000. 

ENGLISH   EDITION, 

100,000. 


"The  description  of  the  Bombard- 
ment of  Alexandria,  in  'Mr.  Potter  of 
Texas,'  is,  perhaps,  the  most  stirring 
i)ictMre  painted  by  the  pen  of  any 
writer  in  several  generations." 


OPINIONS     OF 

THE     GREAT     NOVEL, 


Mr.  Barnes 


of  New  York, 


ENGLAND. 

**  There  is  no  reason  for  surprise  at  'Mr.  Barnes* 
being  a  big  hit." — The  Referee^  London,  March  25th. 

''^Exciting  and  interesting." — The  Graphic. 

" 'Marina  Paoli' — a  giant  character — just  as  strong 
as  '  Fedora.' " — Ilhcstrated  Londoji  News. 

"A  capital  story — most  people  have  read  it — I 
recommend  it  to  all  the  others," 

— James  Payne  in  Ilhcstrated  London  News. 

AMERICA. 

"Told  with  the  genius  of  Alexander  Dumas,  the 
Elder." — Amusement  Gazette. 

"  Have  you  read  *  Mr.  Barnes  of  New  York  .? '  If 
no,  go  and  read  it  at  once,  and  thank  me  for  suggesting 
it.  ...  I  want  to  be  put  on  record  as  saying  *  it  is 
the  best  story  of  the  day — ihe  best  I  have  read  in  ten 
years.'  " — Joe  Howard  in  Boston  Globe. 

But  at    that    time    Mr.    Howard   had 
not   read 

"Mr.  Potter  of  Texas." 


RARE  BOOK 
COLLECTION 


THE  LIBRARY  OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 

AT 

CHAPEL  HILL 

Wilmer 
856 


A 


